Even at 83 years old, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is thinking big. He said Wednesday his aim is to leave the game with the most Super Bowl rings.
"My goal in life is to retire as the owner that won the most Super Bowls," Jones said during an end-of-season news conference. "That's my goal. To be retired in the NFL as the owner that won the most Super Bowls.
"We've got three. How many more do I have to go as a single owner?"
That would be three to tie New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has six rings, and four to pass Kraft. And that's as things stand now. The Patriots own the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and are tied for the best record in the NFL at 14-3.
"So, I got work to do. Got work to do," Jones said. "But at least I'm up to the second rung in the ladder."
Jones might have three, but his pace has slowed down from the early 1990s rush. In fact, it has been 30 seasons since the Cowboys last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
This past season, the Cowboys went 7-9-1. They recently released cornerback Trevon Diggs and fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after the team allowed 511 points, the most -- by four touchdowns -- in franchise history. The Cowboys' offense was more successful, ranking seventh in the league in points scored, but they'll have two key free agents to deal with this offseason: receiver George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams.
"Every team has holes," Jones said. "You have to. Just the way it works. But I see six teams that weren't in the playoffs last year that are in the playoffs this year. I know it can happen. I know how close it is. And I think we can get in here and get the defense in shape quicker than it might look."
Jones knows he has a shot with Dak Prescott still playing at or near his peak, and the owner hinted at an aggressive offseason, even if the Cowboys have been rather quiet in free agency in recent springs.
"Bottom line is this (offseason) is, yes, very important," Jones said. "They're right. We want to, while Dak is playing the game and got it down the way he's got it, we want to get out here and basically do better than what we did this year.
"So, (the) combination of those things gives us the incentive to, dare I say it, bust the budget to try to get something done now. Yes. Yes. We'll do some dramatic things."
