Jerry Jones Admits Fatal Mistake With Jaguars' Jourdan Lewis

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars know what they have in Jourdan Lewis. It appears the Dallas Cowboys have finally realized it, too.

Lewis was having a phenomenal season for the Jaguars before a foot injury in Week 16 ended his year before the playoff run. But that didn't stop Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from pointing out this week what a mistake it was to let Lewis walk.

“We lost the nickel, and it hurt us more than we thought. The nickel was a serious loss for us. It made a big difference not having [Lewis] out there. And, so, we have got to get better there," Jones said today, according to Patrik Walker of Cowboys.com.

“The number one thing was we thought —when we lost our nickel last year — we could Bland in and out, and get him going back and forth. He wasn't quite as suited to getting inside and being a nickel as we thought he would be ... So that was a little planning that didn't work out on the plan.”

You know it’s all love! https://t.co/u4d2b0tDk4
— Jourdan Lewis (@JourdanJD) January 7, 2026

Lewis spent eight years with the Cowboys, appearing in 115 regular season games and four playoff games. In his tenure with the Cowboys, Lewis recorded 10 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, 9.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, 386 combined tackles, and 275 solo tackles.

Lewis appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys during the 2024 season, recording one interception, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble, one sack, three tackles for loss, and 71 total tackles.

jourdan lewis — Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) reacts as he is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It's funny. Every offseason, I think I am," Lewis said in March when asked why he moved on from the Cowboys.

"But this time, it just felt a little different. Because, you know, I had the season I had last year, and people started to recognize the type of player I was. So, you know, it couldn't be hidden anymore, and couldn't give me, you know, just the team-friendly deals anymore. So that's when I recognized, when I had the year, and I felt the buzz. I knew that, you know, maybe it might be my time to, you know, separate."

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) celebrates his interception with cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) and cornerback Christian Braswell (21) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Lewis won't be able to suit up for the Jaguars in a playoff run he helped make possible, he is still set to have a big impact day in and day out on a young Jaguars secondary that is up to the task.

“Without a doubt. He has at certain points in the season really done a great job of helping us in every which way he can," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said last week. "Even in the game, you watch him on the sideline, he's really not too far from me. He gets the call. He's helping guys when they come off the field. He's talking to guys who aren't in the game at that moment. And he's about as locked in as anybody on the team and on the staff."

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