Jerry Jones Claims Cowboys 'Couldn't Afford' Derrick Henry In Free Agency

Derrick Henry had a monster game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. And according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the former NFL Offensive Player of the Year could have been playing for him instead — if he weren't so darn expensive!

After eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year, $16 million deal in March. The All-Pro trains in Dallas in the off-season and showed interest in signing with the Cowboys during free agency. After losing Tony Pollard to the Titans, the Cowboys needed a running back, too.

The match made sense. But Jones wasn't interested.

"We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry," he told reporters on Sunday.

When asked why not, Jones replied, "I don’t know. Why can’t you buy a mansion when you live in a different kind of house? We couldn’t afford it. We can’t make that all fit. That’s as simple as that."

It's hard to believe the $10-billion franchise couldn't find $8 million somewhere to fill an urgent need. That said, Dallas did not extend the contracts of receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott until just before the start of the season, leaving them with little wiggle room under the salary cap.

So, instead, the Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year, $3 million deal. And Henry ran all over the Cowboys as a member of the Ravens.

Henry rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, plus a 23-yard reception in the Week 3 match-up. Dallas tried to mount a comeback, but Baltimore ultimately won 28–25 to send the Cowboys to 1–2. As a team, the Ravens rushed for 274 yards, while Dallas had just 51 yards on the ground.

Derrick Henry rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens' win over the Cowboys. 

(Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)

"I wouldn’t direct the running game and lack thereof or where we’ve been over the last three games to any one running back at all, because it takes some offensive linemen to blow them out of there; it takes a passing game to keep them honest in the running game. It takes a lot of things to make that work," Jones said.

The thing is, though, the Cowboys chose to invest in those other "things." They didn't run out of money until it was time to pay a running back.