Jerry Jones uses a weirdly gruesome analogy to describe Cowboys contract issues

Gabrielle McMillen

Jerry Jones uses a weirdly gruesome analogy to describe Cowboys contract issues image

Jerry Jones has used odd analogies a time or three to describe football, but this one might take the cake.

While at training camp in Oxnard, California, Jones on Tuesday was asked about the contract situations with quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and receiver Amari Cooper.

Jones' response didn't exactly clear things up.

"Picture you were a driver of a car and you had a wreck and your hand was almost severed off, but you didn't understand your anatomy," Jones said, via The Dallas Morning News. "You look down, you're spurting blood, you open the door, and run to the woods, and either die bleeding to death or shock. The educated man looks down, knows his anatomy, squeezes and knows his best chance is to wait for help. That's because he's been there a lot and done that. So I'm squeezing and waiting for help."

Wait, what does that mean? Jones didn't clear that up, either.

"Pull it out of my ...," Jones said. "We're having an anatomy lesson. The best one of all. I wish I were that quick."

It's unclear who is going to "help" or how that will aid in the Cowboys' contract issues. Elliott has two years left on his rookie deal, but has been absent from training camp and reportedly has threatened to hold out for the season if he doesn't get his desired deal.

Prescott reportedly turned down a contract that would pay him $30 million a year and instead is seeking a deal that would average $40 million a year.

Both Prescott and Cooper said at the start of training camp that they aren't worried about their contracts.

Still, with the Cowboys' camp in Southern California ending Thursday, the team isn't close to a deal with any of the offensive stars.

But Jones reiterated his stance, this time with a little clearer analogy as he pointed to the recent past as an example of when things go wrong relative to the salary cap, pointing when the Cowboys were forced to release franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware after the 2013 season. He signed with the Broncos and won a Super Bowl ring.

"It's not like me going out here and buying something that I have to decide whether I want to just spend to have that," Jones told reporters (via ESPN.com). "That's not it at all. It's that I've got to realize that I can let a DeMarcus Ware out of here because I don't have enough money because I paid it to too many others.

"That's happened to me, and I don't want it to happen again. And we've got some top talent here."

Translation: The bottom line is still the bottom line.

Gabrielle McMillen