Jerry Jones ‘Bust the Budget’ Slogan Suggests Cowboys Could Be Aggressive in 2026

Every year, Jerry Jones seems to adopt a new slogan, and 2026 is no different. This year, the Dallas Cowboys' owner continues to use the term "bust the budget" when discussing plans for the offseason.

With Jones, however, it's never easy to decipher exactly what he means. The biggest example was in 2024 when Jones claimed the Cowboys would be "all-in," which led fans to believe they would be active in free agency.

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That didn't happen as the Cowboys avoided high-priced free agents, and Jones later claimed "all-in" meant extending the players they already had. Thankfully, "bust the budget" seems to be more promising. Jones was asked what that would look like, and he said it would be going beyond what they did in 2025.

“We did some things last year that helped us — really helped us,” Jones said via Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News. “Busting the budget would have to be going beyond that.”

“You would expect me to take the improvement last year on available assets to have personnel ... you would expect me to use every bit of anything that I gave up to get it. What I mean, [when I say] above and beyond the budget, it would be taken a little bit, if given the opportunity.”

Cowboys were more active than usual in 2025

Jerry Jones on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dallas made several big moves in 2025, including three high-profile trades. The Cowboys picked up wide receiver George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They later traded away Micah Parsons, landing two first-round picks. One of those picks, as well as nose tackle Mazi Smith, was sent to the New York Jets at the trade deadline in exchange for Quinnen Williams.

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They also made smart moves in free agency, signing running back Javonte Williams and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Throw in the Logan Wilson trade, and they were far more active than we've seen in years.

If Jones is serious about going beyond, then 2026 could be a fun offseason.

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