The NFL has fined Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones $250,000 for displaying an obscene gesture toward fans during Sunday's win over the New York Jets, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday.
Jones -- who is likely to appeal the fine, Pelissero reported -- was seen in a viral video pointing toward fans from his box at MetLife Stadium and then giving the middle finger.
The Cowboys owner apologized for the act on Tuesday during an appearance on his radio show, explaining that the "inadvertent" finger was a response to Cowboys fans.
"That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "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 added: "(The gesture) was inadvertent on my part because that was right after we made our last touchdown, and we were all excited about it. There wasn't any antagonistic issue or anything like that. 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. I had a chance to look at it. It got straightened out pretty quick, but the intention was 'thumbs up,' and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited."
Jones and the Cowboys have not yet formally appealed the fine, but it is likely they will with a final decision expected by Friday.
Jones is not the first owner to be reprimanded for in-game behavior toward fans. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 for throwing a drink on fans during the 2023 season. The late Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 in 2009 for waving middle fingers at Bills fans.
Jones' Cowboys (2-2-1) take on Tepper's Panthers (2-3) in Carolina in Week 6.
