The NFL’s rulebook has always been as fluid as a halftime Hail Mary. Imagine Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield, only for the league to widen the fences mid-swing. That’s the drama unfolding as owners debate banning the “tush push”—a play as polarizing as a referee’s call in overtime. At the center? Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a man who’s never met a spotlight he didn’t like.

Jones, who once turned a $150 million gamble into America’s Team, is stirring the pot again. While rivals grumble about the Eagles’ surgical use of the tush push, Jones isn’t hiding behind injury stats or tradition.

“We do things, and if somebody does it really well or gets an edge, we might make defensive, offensive adjustments. That’s the discussion,” he told Yahoo Sports. For Jones, it’s about the show: “It was more from the entertainment standpoint—which from my perspective, is a good discussion.” Hence, if it’s boring, bin it. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Bills have turned the tush push into a cheat code.

They have converted 87% of attempts since 2022. The rest of the league? A measly 71%. Critics argue it’s less football, more rugby scrum. Packers president Mark Murphy blasted it as “almost an automatic first down.” Murphy wrote, “There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less.” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni fired back, calling Murphy’s response “a little insulting.” But Jones, ever the showman, sees a bigger picture.

“Fans could be interested in what we do with it,” he said, framing the debate as a TV ratings play. NFL owners tabled the vote Tuesday, punting the decision to May. The league’s dilemma? Banning a play just because two teams excel feels like changing the rules of Jeopardy! Because Ken Jennings won too much. However, Jones’s stance—prioritizing entertainment over tradition—could tip the scales…

“It’s the nature of how the game has evolved that when something creates a competitive imbalance or competitive issue, other clubs either do it, or they check it,” he shrugged. And while the tush push drama simmers, Jones made a quieter splash Thursday: trading for Patriots QB Joe Milton.

Jerry Jones’s quarterback chess move

Milton, the 6’5”, 246-pound rookie—dubbed “Bazooka Joe” for his cannon arm—will back up Dak Prescott. The move cost Dallas a fifth-round pick, but Jones isn’t playing for draft grades. He’s hedging bets. Prescott’s injury history reads like a Final Destination script—four seasons disrupted since 2019—and backup Cooper Rush fled to Baltimore. Milton’s lone 2024 start?

A Week 18 upset over Buffalo (22/29, 241 yards, 2 TDs) that cost New England the No. 1 draft slot. He’s got the tools. But can he read a blitz? For Jones, it’s a low-risk dice roll. As he once quipped: “The only way to break out is to gamble – take a chance with that first pick if you wanna dramatically improve your team.” That looks like Jones’s secret sauce.

Jones’s dual moves reveal a franchise balancing today’s wins with tomorrow’s headlines. Banning the tush push could kneecap rivals while securing Milton buys insurance for Prescott’s $40 million-a-year legs. It’s chess, not checkers—a strategy as old as Tex Schramm’s play-action fakes.

As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only constant in life.” For Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, embracing that truth might just be their winning play.