The National Football League has penalised Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones with a $250,000 fine following what the league deemed an obscene gesture directed toward fans during Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
Video clips shared widely on social media showed Jones in his suite pointing toward fans and briefly raising his middle finger late in the Cowboys’ 37-22 victory over the New York Jets. The gesture came soon after Dak Prescott’s fourth touchdown of the game, and in the moment of excitement Jones later said he meant to flash a thumbs-up—not an offensive sign.
Jones appeared on his radio show (105.3 The Fan in Dallas) to address the incident. He claimed the gesture was “inadvertent,” that he “put up the wrong show on the hand,” and that there was no antagonistic intent. He described the scene as an “exchange with our fans out in front of us,” noting a swarm of Cowboys supporters outside the suite.
The NFL’s rules classify such conduct as “detrimental to the league,” giving it grounds to issue disciplinary sanctions, including fines. The Cowboys and Jones have the option to appeal the fine; sources indicate that an appeal is likely.
This is not the first time an NFL owner has faced financial penalties for inappropriate behavior toward fans. In 2023, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 for throwing a drink toward Jacksonville Jaguars fans. And in 2009, former Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for making obscene gestures toward Buffalo Bills fans.
The fine is substantial, but modest relative to Jones’s financial standing and the overall revenues tied to NFL ownership.
Whether the appeal will be successful remains to be seen. But as this incident ripples through media and public discourse, it underscores that even owners are held to scrutiny under the league’s conduct policies.
