You wouldn’t think a billionaire owner of a billion-dollar franchise would be pinching pennies, right? Wrong. The Cowboys are the most valuable NFL franchise and placed fifth in the NFLPA report card last year. Yet, their former player Ross Tucker dropped a bombshell tweet about the stark difference in player treatment between the Giants and his old team, the Cowboys as revealed by recently retired tight end Darren Waller. 

Tucker played only one season for the Cowboys in 20o2, when they went 5-11. Needless to say, his memories with the team aren’t great both on and off the pitch. Even last year he revealed that the “Cowboys only one of 5 teams I played for that charged for lunch.” After Waller reserved high praise for the Giants, Tucker couldn’t help but highlight the issue he faced at the ‘America’s Team.’

On his Football Podcast, Tucker invited former TE Waller as his guest and asked him about his experiences playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and the New York Giants. Waller gushed about the Giants’ ownership, praising their top-notch amenities like acupuncture and massages.

“I like the Giants a lot. You can tell the ownership and the people upstairs are very present. I think that was the first team I was on that paid for your massages and acupuncture and all those little things. [They] took that off of your plate,” he said.

Even though Waller joined the Giants for only one season in 2023, he was left in awe at how the franchise went about its business. Waller added, “They do things the right way. The way they treat families coming for training camp and getting all that stuff. You know, it’s like those little things that matter. It shows they care about individual players. They try to build the best organization.” The Giants are known to be open to having families attend their East Rutherford facility and have an annual family day during training camp.

However, Ross Tucker pointed out that he had a very different experience with his teams. In his seven-year career, Tucker played for Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots, while he had a brief stint with Cleveland Browns. Replying to a tweet from Ross Tucker Podcast, where Waller praised the Giants, he wrote, “None of my teams paid for massages. Heck, the Cowboys payroll deducted for lunch.”

Sports journalists and analysts have called out Jerry Jones for his tight-fisted tactics. Earlier, in March this year, Skip Bayless on his namesake show said, “Jones is what is ultimately wrong with my Dallas Cowboys.”

In last year’s NFL Players Association’s league-wide report card, the Cowboys were one of seven teams in the NFL that didn’t offer players first-class seats for travel. Interestingly, when it came to food services and meals, the Arizona Cardinals were reported to be the only franchise in the league that deducted from the players’ paychecks if they took dinner from the team cafeteria. Maybe, things have changed since Tucker played for the franchise.

Still, in 2023, the Cowboys were one of the better-performing teams in the report aimed at helping the players make an informed decision when they decide which team to play for. It put Jerry Jones’ franchise at the fifth spot overall. However, the America’s Team went down to 12th place this year, with low grades in training staff, training room, and team travel categories. The Giants, on the other hand, were placed on the eighth spot.

What ex-lineman Ross Tucker revealed is a wild contrast between two of the NFL’s biggest names—one rolling out the red carpet, and the other pinching pennies. This isn’t just about perks like massages and meal vouchers; it’s a peek into how the Cowboys prioritize their players and run the organization even with a $9.2 billion value. 

Despite Dallas being the most valuable team in the NFL. Ironically, his management style has also turned them into the lowest-spending club.

Despite $9.2B value, Dallas is the least-spending team in the NFL

Per Spotrac’s valuation of all 32 NFL teams, the Cowboys (though valued at $9.2B) have spent a mere $93.4M this season. This is way less than their competitors—Pittsburgh Steelers ($147M) and the New England Patriots ($418.3M). 

Now, Dallas’ brass claims they’re not being cheapskates. EVP Stephen Jones insisted they “spend max, max money year in and year out.” But this explanation rings hollow after a disappointing playoff exit. Remember Jerry Jones vowing to be “all in” on upgrades? Well, that turned into a major “all out.” Their only free agency grabs so far are LB Eric Kendricks and RB Royce Freeman. 

This frugal strategy comes after a soul-crushing playoff loss to the Packers. Fans were expecting a spending spree, not a shopping cart budget. Now, Dallas sits with the absolute lowest free agency spending in the entire NFL, trailing even the salary-capped Saints.

While they hold tightly to their pockets, will the Cowboys be able to build a successful roster? Everyone is watching closely.