The NFL has fined Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones $250,000 for making an obscene gesture towards fans during a game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The incident occurred during the Cowboys' 37-22 victory over the New York Jets, with video clips appearing to show Jones flashing his middle finger at Jets fans.
Jones claimed the gesture was inadvertent, stating he intended to give a thumbs up to Cowboys fans in the stadium. “That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us,” he said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “There was a swarm of Cowboys fans out in front – not Jets fans, Cowboys fans. The entire stadium was brimming with enthusiasm of Cowboys, and certainly late in the game.”
Jones explained that the gesture came after a late touchdown, adding, “I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done. I’m not kidding. If you want to call it accidental, you can call it accidental. But it got straightened around pretty quick.”
The fine is unlikely to trouble Jones, who has an estimated net worth of $16bn. The NFL has previously fined other owners for similar behaviour, including Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper ($300,000 in 2024) and former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams ($250,000 in 2009).
Jones has had a busy offseason, facing criticism from Cowboys fans after trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. He also featured in a Netflix documentary about building the Cowboys into the world's most valuable sports franchise.
