The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2: Ed Werder Details Cowboys Drama

Date: August 22, 2025
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show
Host: Dan Patrick (with the Danettes: Paulie, Marvin, Todd, Seton)
Guest: Ed Werder, Cowboys Insider

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the enduring drama and legacy of the Dallas Cowboys, sparked by discussion of the recent Netflix Cowboys documentary and joined by longtime Dallas reporter Ed Werder. The show dives into the franchise’s media saturation, internal dysfunction, the role of Jerry Jones, and current contract standoffs—namely with Micah Parsons. Ed Werder offers in-depth perspective into the Cowboys’ perpetual “soap opera,” Jerry Jones’s motivations, the team’s prospects, and broader NFL news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Netflix Cowboys Documentary – Overexposure or Valuable Insight?

• Dan Patrick’s Take

  • Dan finds the Cowboys docuseries “underwhelming,” noting it’s more PR than revelation:

    “If you get Jerry Jones to sign up for 40 hours of being interviewed, I’m gonna guess it’s probably not too spicy or negative... It just felt like it was an extended PR documentary with the Dallas Cowboys.” (03:00)

  • The show’s hosts agree the Cowboys, as the “most overcovered sports team of the last century,” haven’t left much for a documentary to reveal. Younger viewers might glean more, but for veterans like Dan, it’s mostly “memory lane.”

• Impressions from the Danettes

  • Marvin, watching as a younger fan, admits he’s learning some behind-the-scenes from the Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones split, but the games and big moments are well-tread ground.
  • Paulie: “It just felt like it was a family reunion and everybody's telling fun stories.”
  • Todd appreciates hearing old-school broadcasts and seeing technological progress in old game footage.

• On Jerry Jones as a Media Figure

  • Discussion about Jerry’s constant need for the spotlight and control, with Dan noting:

    “He’s a PR driven person, right to a fault. He’s always selling, always selling, always selling.”

  • Speculation on whether Jerry would ever do a roast like Tom Brady did for Netflix. The consensus: only if he could screen the jokes, but probably not, as he’s “not a good listener.”

2. Cowboys Expectations & Fanbase Pressure

• The Burden of Hype

  • Dan discusses how Jones, by prioritizing promotion, set up huge expectations the team rarely matches.

    “They can never live up to those expectations unless they win a Super Bowl.”

• Comparing Fanbases

  • Winning a single playoff game is “not enough” for Cowboys/Steelers/Eagles/Packers/etc., while it would be a triumph for franchises like the Jaguars or Cardinals.

• The 49ers as Under-Covered

  • Briefly, Dan notes the 49ers are “probably one of the most undercover teams this year,” emphasizing old injuries and new pressures on QB Brock Purdy.

3. NFL League News — Concussions Down, Taunting Up

• Positive Trends
  • NFL data: Concussions at their lowest recorded level, thanks in part to new helmet tech and the dynamic kickoff.

    “Helmet technology is improved... Aaron Rodgers had to change his helmet... Dynamic kickoff is here to stay.”

• But “Illegal Sexual Gestures” & Taunting Up
  • 55% increase in taunting penalties, 133% rise in inappropriate gestures (e.g. gun/money signs, “throat slash,” suggestive celebrations).
  • League emphasizing celebrations must be “towards the crowd, not towards the defender.”

4. Guest Segment: Ed Werder on Cowboys & Jerry Jones

(Interview begins ~42:50)

A. First Impressions of Jerry Jones

• Werder’s 1989 Arrival
  • “He was definitely a huge personality... Jerry was somebody who could not embrace criticism, but he could withstand it and that he was going to be a very prominent personality in the league for as long as he owned the franchise.” (44:20)

B. The Reason for a Cowboys Documentary:

• Werder’s View

  • “I think it’s kind of a legacy... piece for Jerry. He’s 82 years old. They’ve been irrelevant in terms of competing for championships for 30 years. I think Jerry wanted... something that documented his place in the NFL and how it all began.” (45:25)
  • Werder also notes Jerry “wanted to take credit for certain things for which he has not yet been given credit.”

• On Cowboys’ Enduring Drama

  • “There’s always the soap opera... Jerry’s different in that he said as recently as this training camp, ‘when it gets quiet, I like to stir it up.’”

C. Jerry’s Popularity Among Fans

• Would Jerry survive a fan vote?
  • “Jerry would win the three votes of his family members... and might lose all the remaining votes. The media would like to keep Jerry around... but a lot of that animosity [since firing Tom Landry] still remains.” (46:35)

D. Micah Parsons’ Contract Drama

• Parsons’ Agent the Issue?
  • Not unusual for Cowboys to get late in camp with unsigned stars. Both sides are to blame:

    “Micah Parsons was naïve to engage Jerry Jones in contract negotiations without his representation present. And Jerry was wrong to think he could reach a binding agreement with a superstar player while his agent was not involved.” (48:55)

E. On-field Outlook for 2025

• Can the Cowboys Contend?

  • “Generally speaking, when Dak Prescott has been healthy... the Cowboys have been in the playoffs. But... this is the first time in Dak’s 10 year career... they go into the season as probably the third best team in their own division.” (51:00)
  • Coaching shakeup: Brian Schottenheimer as first-year head coach AND play-caller.

• Why Pay Dak Big Money?

  • “It’s really just leverage. Dak and his agent mastered that... Jerry feared losing him.”

F. NFC East Power Structure & Eagles Outlook

• Eagles to Repeat?
  • Werder expects Philly to win the division again if they stay healthy and:

    “Their front office takes a completely different approach to being proactive and signing their best players... Maybe Jerry should study that.”

G. Wildest Cowboys Story?

• Werder references the “Michael Irvin situation” (drug arrest; murder-for-hire plot), typifying the Cowboys’ long public history of drama:

  “It’s all played out very publicly... I don’t know that there’s something that we have that we’re not aware of that I could share with you.” (55:20)

H. The 30-Something Cowboys Fan Perspective

• Dan and Werder agree: For fans under 35, the Cowboys are just a story of “used to be good”—the glory years only exist in documentaries and highlight reels.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on the Cowboys doc

  “It just felt like it was a family reunion and everybody's telling fun stories... but I already knew that because I know Michael [Irvin] and I’ve been around for 40 years.” (04:30)

• Paulie on Jerry Jones

  “Jerry’s a PR driven person, right to a fault. He’s always selling, always selling, always selling.” (08:11)

• Ed Werder on Jerry’s legacy

  “He was hated... for firing Tom Landry... Here we are 35 years later, and a lot of that animosity still remains toward Jerry.” (46:45)

• Werder explaining Cowboys’ drama

  “Most general managers want to eliminate distractions. Jerry’s different. He likes to stir it up.” (46:00)

• Werder on Dak’s contract

  “It’s amazing a year later [after the new deal], he still has by $5 million the highest average salary in the NFL among players at any position.” (52:30)

• Werder summing up his own career

  “I wouldn’t have had the career I’ve had if not for the fact I was so close to covering... the Cowboys and all the curious situations that happened with them.” (57:00)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 0:00 – 13:00: Cowboys docuseries discussion; cultural saturation; Jerry and PR; documentary lacks “wow” moments.
• 13:00 – 20:00: Expectations for NFL franchises; over/under-covered teams; Jerry as a self-promoter; would he do a roast?
• 22:15 – 35:00: NFL league news—concussion trends, kickoff changes, spike in taunting/gestures, rules nuances.
• 42:50 – 57:50: Ed Werder interview:
  • First impressions of Jerry (44:20)
  • Why a Cowboys doc now? (45:25)
  • Fanbase vs. Jerry (46:35)
  • Parsons contract drama (48:55)
  • On-field outlook and division rivals (51:00)
  • Dak contract justification (52:30)
  • Eagles’ edge (53:35)
  • Craziest Cowboys story (55:20)
  • Cowboys’ legacy for young fans (56:00)

Tone & Style

• Conversational, humorous, a bit self-deprecating (Dan and the Danettes’ signature banter)
• Insightful but skeptical when it comes to NFL PR, the Cowboys’ “brand,” and overproduced media.
• Werder brings calm, measured insider credibility—never sensational, but always pulling back the curtain a bit.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This hour offers a snapshot of why the Dallas Cowboys loom so large in both football and pop culture: a bombastic owner, a team forever in the limelight, and a history of public drama often eclipsing performance. Ed Werder’s stories ground the glitz in reality and show that for all of Jerry Jones’s attempts to control the Cowboys’ story, they remain as chaotic and captivating as ever—on and off the field.