Cowboys’ Jerry Jones says defense is ‘trending’ despite inconsistencies
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, that he believes the club’s defense is moving in the right direction even as it continues to show inconsistency. Jones made the comments on 105.3 The Fan following a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8 in which the defense surrendered four straight touchdown drives to end the game. The club entered the Nov. 3 comments with a 3-5 record.
Jones pointed to a multi-year rebuilding process on the defensive side that began at the start of last season and said turnover among defensive coaches has been a factor. Dallas is working under its fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons, and Jones acknowledged that changes in personnel and staff can produce uneven results while the unit develops. He emphasized that draft picks typically require seasoning and that the club has altered much of its coaching staff and many players during the rebuild.
The Cowboys returned all 11 offensive starters after an explosive 2025 season, and Jones said the team planned for the offense to help cover defensive growing pains. He noted that the team played well in portions of recent games — particularly in first halves — even when results swung the other way late. Jones stated he does not see a need for sweeping coaching changes at this time and expressed confidence in defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s direction for the unit.
With the NFL trade deadline seven days away, Jones said the Cowboys are not looking to be sellers and that he is satisfied with the roster construction for now. He left open the possibility of adding a player if the right deal presents itself but said no such move has materialized to date. Jones also commented on ongoing market movement around certain players leaguewide but indicated he did not see any immediate transactions for Dallas.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Jones is stressing continuity and patience as Dallas manages the second season of a defensive rebuild that has included multiple staff changes. The sequence of allowing four straight touchdown drives to close the Week 8 loss underlines the inconsistency he references, yet the club’s return of offensive continuity and selective roster turnover gives management a basis to stand pat. With the trade deadline approaching, the choice to pursue a targeted addition rather than wholesale changes aligns with Jones’ assessment that the unit is improving but not yet finished. For the Cowboys, the next step will be translating promising first-half play into full-game performance while preserving the developmental trajectory Jones described.