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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 28: Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys talks with former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett before the game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is deciding not to fight back after the NFL fined him a quarter million, saying he is doing so out of kindness of his heart.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jones has decided not to appeal his $250,000 fine for giving fans the middle finger at Met Life Stadium on Sunday.
Pelissero added that Jones is “genuinely happy” that all NFL fine money goes to charitable causes.
“As Jones said in his hall of fame speech, he loves all fans and has received his fair share of ‘love salutes’ from them over the years,” Pelissero said. “Consider this paying it forward.”
Jerry Jones Initially Said Gesture Was ‘Accidental’
The 82-year-old owner was seen flashing the middle finger from a suite after Dak Prescott’s fourth touchdown pass against the New York Jets. In his remarks in the days since, it seemed as though Jones was going to appeal.
Jones called his gesture accidental during an interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday. He said he was trying to do a thumbs-up to a group of Cowboys fans.
“That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us,” Jones said. The New Jersey stadium had just as many Cowboys fans as supporters of the Jets, who have struggled mightily in recent years.
“(The gesture) was inadvertent on my part because that was right after we made our last touchdown, and we were all excited about it,” Jones said. “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.”
It’s the most recent instance of an owner being fined for an interaction with fans. Last season, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 after throwing a drink toward a fan.
In 2009, former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was penalized $250,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after making an obscene gesture from his suite.
Dak Prescott Playing at MVP Level
Part of Jones’s excitement stemmed from Prescott’s standout play. Coming off a 237-yard, four-touchdown game, Prescott has put up impressive numbers this season. He ranks second in the league in passing yards (1,356) and third in touchdown passes (10), with some even considering him a contender for MVP.
“I think he is playing at that level,” Jones said of Prescott. “He is obviously right there at the very top of the strengths of this team, and what a place to have it. Of all the places you could have it going well for you, that would be the one you would pick to give you a chance to be in the playoffs.”
Most impressively, Prescott has been working without his top receiver, CeeDee Lamb, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Prescott and Dallas face the Panthers on Sunday in Carolina.
Drake Bentley is an award-winning investigative journalist and breaking news reporter for Heavy, covering football, basketball, legal affairs and entertainment. Drake has covered sports, including the NBA Finals, NFL Draft, and major trending stories, since 2019. More about Drake Bentley
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