Jones on Signing Odell Beckham Jr.: ‘Every Day Diminishes Our Chances’

The Cowboys owner took on a much different tone when talking about the free agent receiver this week.

Less than a week after sounding almost certain that Odell Beckham Jr. would join the Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones pumped the brakes on an impending deal with the free agent wide receiver.

“As of this morning we don’t have anything,” Jones said in his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “The reality is though that time is moving on down the road relative to playing in the playoffs and so every day diminishes our chances of going forward.”

Jones’s latest remark comes just days after he told Jarrett Bell of USA Today that “Odell’s going to join us.”

“There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future,” the Dallas owner said last week. “But most of it being about now.”

The Cowboys and Beckham have been connected throughout the 2022 season, as the 30-year-old receiver searches for a new team while recovering from the torn ACL that he suffered during Super Bowl LVI with the Rams. Other teams, such as the Bills and the Giants, have also shown interest in the three-time Pro Bowler.

However, the Cowboys have seemed to be one of the frontrunners throughout the process until reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and others indicated that the two parties are at an impasse in contract negotiations. Beckham reportedly wants guaranteed money both this year and next year, but Dallas is reluctant to do so as the 30-year-old is still a few weeks away from being able to return to the field. 

To insure that they didn’t miss out on adding a pass-catcher altogether, the Cowboys brought aboard longtime Colts wideout TY Hilton last week. Jones maintained that the signing didn’t take Dallas out of the running for Beckham, but the move appears to cover the NFC East franchise if it can’t strike a deal with the former first-round pick.

The Cowboys (10–4) have just three games remaining until the playoffs, beginning this weekend against the NFC East-leading Eagles (13–1). Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m ET on Saturday.