In a COVID-19 vaccination culture war, Cowboys' Jerry Jones has chosen his side - Yahoo Sports

— Jerry Jones owns the most valuable sports franchise in the history of the world, cradled deep inside a longstanding politically red-leaning state.

And yet, when it comes to the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination culture war, Jones has continued to lean deeply into the one camp that best represents his interests.

And as one of the highest-profile team owners in the NFL, he continues to sound like he’s taking the totality of his franchise with him, even if it takes every last minute of this preseason to make it happen?

Pfizer and Moderna may not be able to win a Super Bowl or sell 100,000 seats in AT&T stadium, but Jerry Jones knows those two pharmaceutical giants can get him a little closer to both of those pursuits.

So when you hear Jones say he’s got his team “in the pipeline” to being a league-leader in vaccination rate, recognize that this is Jerry maximizing business and mitigating any other complications to winning.

That’s Jerry’s side in this vaccination culture war.

And it’s great for the NFL, who quietly must wish it had a club owner like Jones in every single city now — obsessed with more wins and more profits, and willing to adjust to whatever makes that happen.

This is why you can believe Jones and his son Stephen, who both said during Wednesday’s training camp kickoff news conference that Dallas is going to meet and eventually exceed the NFL’s 85 percent vaccination line for loosening in-season COVID protocols.

It’s as simple as being good for business — and that’s the side that Jones is going to vote for 99 times out of 100 (and the 100th time was only because Jerry was in the bathroom).

As much as the league and other NFL team owners might talk about the health and safety implications of COVID and vaccination, Jones showcases the message that really matters to all the billionaires in his sphere.

Just like it scared everyone else among the franchise owners because it was completely out of the NFL’s control.

If Jerry Jones made anything clear Wednesday, it was that he was unsettled by the disruption COVID caused for the NFL and his own team last season.

Are you ever going to be sitting up there talking to everyone again at the same time?’ ” Jones said, his voice breaking for a moment.

And while the league can’t force players to get vaccinated, it can create an environment to encourage it happening.

Given that every team will carry 53 on the active roster and 12 practice squad players, it’s significant that the NFL can get an overwhelming number of 2,080 players fully vaccinated at a time when half the United States isn’t?

There will be players who become lightning rods in the debate, like former Cowboy and current Buffalo Bills wideout Cole Beasley, who has refused to get vaccinated and repeatedly taken to social media to argue about it.

Or ex-players like Michael Irvin, who suggested a very clear correlation between vaccination and player’s willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

It’s worth noting that when Jones was asked about Irvin’s comments about vaccination being a sign of willingness to win, Jones raved about Irvin’s commitment as a player and finally settled on calling it “an outstanding message.”.

That’s pretty much as close to a bottom-line declaration as you’re going to see from an NFL team owner who is not supposed to mandate his players get vaccinated.

That’s what Jerry Jones and franchise owners care about.

That’s why they want players vaccinated.

All in the name of personal financial gain and prideful team accomplishment — a two-shot injection that Jerry Jones has been chasing for decades.