Jerry Jones vs. NFL spat ends with Jones agreeing to pay back $2 million for legal fees

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

The NFL won its battle against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Jones, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the finance committee met, and the Cowboys owner agreed to pay the NFL more than $2 million for its legal fees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said. The NFL had used a part of the league’s constitution that an owner bringing litigation against the league or other owners would be subject to paying back the legal fees. The NFL told Jones he’d have to pay about $2 million, reports said Jones planned to appeal, then the report Wednesday said he’d pay the $2 million.

It’s not like Jones, one of the league’s most powerful and wealthiest owners, will miss the money. The entire ordeal seemed to be another chapter in the ongoing feud between Jones and Goodell. Jones wasn’t happy that Goodell suspended his running back Ezekiel Elliott over a domestic violence allegation. Jones said that was unrelated to him fighting Goodell’s extension last year, but that’s hard to believe. It’s also hard to believe that going after Jones to recoup legal fees is separate from anything else that happened.

The NFL world will go on. Jones and Goodell will coexist, although it seems likely the relationship will be strained forever. And Jones is out $2 million. It might have been worth it for him to make the point he did.

A report said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has agreed to pay the NFL $2 million in legal fees. (AP)
A report said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has agreed to pay the NFL $2 million in legal fees. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!