Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Fined $250,000 for Obscene Gesture Toward Fans

‘I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done,’ Jones said of the gesture to fans at MetLife Stadium.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is seen on the field prior to the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 05, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Jerry Jones, the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, has been fined $250,000 by the National Football League for making what he called an “inadvertent gesture” toward the home fans at MetLife Stadium when Dallas played the New York Jets on Oct. 5.

After Dak Prescott threw his fourth touchdown pass with 4:31 left in the game to give the Cowboys a 37–14 lead, social media videos captured Jones in the visiting owner’s box gesturing to fans. Jones waved to some fans and gave a thumbs-up, but then directed a middle-finger gesture toward a single fan or group of fans.

During his weekly radio show appearance on “105.3 The Fan” on Oct. 7, Jones offered his explanation of the incident.

“That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us,” Jones said. “There was a swarm of Cowboys fans out in front—not Jets fans, Cowboys fans. The entire stadium was brimming with enthusiasm of Cowboys and certainly late in the game.

“That was inadvertent on my part because that was right after we made our last touchdown, and we were all excited about it. There wasn’t any antagonistic issue or anything like that. I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done. I’m not kidding ... the intention was ’thumbs up,' and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited.”

Regardless of the intent, Jones’s wallet is a little lighter than before, though still weighty. He is estimated by Forbes to be the 111th richest person in the world, with a net worth of more than $20 billion. His Dallas Cowboys are estimated to have the largest valuation of any pro sports franchise worldwide, at over $10 billion.

This isn’t the first time that a fine has been levied over an occurrence in an owner’s box at an NFL game. Two years ago, David Tepper, owner of the Carolina Panthers, was fined $300,000 for throwing a drink on unruly fans in a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Going back to 2009, the late Tennessee Titans owner, Bud Adams, set the precedent for giving the middle finger to fans, in a road game against the Buffalo Bills, resulting in the same $250,000 fine that Jones just received.

While Jones may have had issues with New York fans, his quarterback, Prescott, did not. Following the team’s 37–22 victory over the Jets, giving Dallas its first road win of the season, Prescott was serenaded by the crowd. The quarterback’s performance, which included 237 passing yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, earned him “MVP! MVP!” chants in an away-game stadium as he exited the field.

Following the game, Prescott was asked if he heard those chants.

“I mean, my ears work,” Prescott told the media. “So, I heard it, but I didn’t hear it. It’s week 5. I don’t care. I don’t care if it was week 17. I’ve told y'all what I want to win, the team goals. Right now, the success and the continued success is going to happen, [and] it’s just a beneficiary of all the guys in that locker room.”

The Dallas victory came despite the absence of All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and four starting offensive linemen.

Both Prescott and Jones will get to see those same Tri-State Area fans again later this season. While this was just the third time that the Cowboys faced the Jets at MetLife Stadium since the venue opened 15 years ago, Dallas is an annual visitor to MetLife to face the New York Giants, the team’s divisional rival.

The Cowboys will again visit MetLife Stadium when the Giants host Dallas in week 18.