The Dallas Cowboys are about to get their first real opportunity to evaluate several players fighting for roster spots, and Jerry Jones believes that is exactly what preseason football should be about.
Following Thursday’s training camp practice, Jones explained what he wants to see from the Cowboys during their three preseason games. Rather than focusing primarily on the final score, Jones is interested in watching players who have not yet had significant opportunities prove what they can do.
“We’re gonna, of course, be playing a lot of our guys that haven’t played,” Jones said. “And I’m looking forward to that. To me, really, that’s what preseason’s all about.”
Jones made the comments after speaking with reporters, including Clarence Hill Jr. of the Dallas Morning News, following Thursday’s practice session. The Cowboys’ owner believes preseason games give fans a chance to see players who could become important parts of the team’s future.
“If I’m a fan, it gives you a chance to see the future and get to see a part of the journey to come in and be evaluated,” Jones said. “That’s what you see in these preseason games.”
Jones has long viewed preseason football as an important evaluation period, particularly for younger players attempting to earn roster spots. With the Cowboys entering the 2026 season with several position battles still developing, those opportunities will be particularly important this year.
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“I’ve always thought that for fans, they were a real treat to just look at the evaluation or the younger guys as they go out,” Jones said. “So that’s a big part of it.” The Cowboys will have three preseason games to evaluate those players before turning their full attention to the regular season.
Dallas opens the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, August 15, at 7 p.m. CT. Then they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, August 22, at 9 p.m. CT. Then Dallas will close out its preseason schedule at home against the New Orleans Saints on Friday, August 28, at 7 p.m. CT.
Those three games will give the coaching staff valuable opportunities to evaluate players beyond the established starters. Young players, roster hopefuls, and newcomers will compete for playing time, roster spots, and roles before the regular season begins.
The games give the Cowboys a chance to see how players perform in a real-game environment rather than relying solely on what they show in practice. And for Cowboys fans, Jones believes that process offers something equally important: an early look at the players who could shape the team’s future.
