OXNARD, Calif. – He didn't specify a timeline, but Jerry Jones confirmed Thursday night that Jimmy Johnson will be part of the Cowboys' Ring of Honor.
The Cowboys' owner and general manager joined FOX's pregame coverage of the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday evening, as the Cowboys prepared to kick off the preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones was flanked at the FOX desk by his Pro Football Hall of Famer quarterback, Troy Aikman, as well as Johnson – who is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.
Pressed on the thought of adding his former coach into the Ring of Honor, Jones smiled.
"We'll be in the Ring of Honor," he said.
When that happens isn't exactly clear. Johnson pointed that out when he followed up Jones' announcement with a well-timed quip – "While I'm still alive?"
Even still, it feels like big news given the infamous nature of Johnson's departure from the Cowboys, as he and Jones split up on the heels of winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
"I've never been able to know why I f----- it up," Jones said two weeks ago, at the outset of this training camp. "Not just that, but anything else. No, I can't answer those questions."
The passage of time, not to mention Johnson's induction into the Hall of Fame, have clearly healed those wounds. And with Johnson's Canton induction delayed a year by the outbreak of COVID-19, it's clearly a topic Jones has had time to think about.
"It was Tex Schramm, who started that Ring of Honor, who said 'Jerry, keep it kind of limited with people. But make sure it wasn't just about the plays they made, make sure they contributed to the story of the franchise,'" Jones said. "Now it's kind of hard to not recognize this contribution to the franchise."
The Cowboys' Ring of Honor currently holds 22 members, 17 of whom are also members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At some point, it sounds like we can expect a 23rd.
