Cowboys GM Jerry Jones facing backlash from fans over comments on Sam Williams' arrest - "Suspend him"

Last Sunday, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams was arrested for possession of an illegal drug and unauthorized carrying of a weapon. The drug he had been carrying was marijuana, the recreational use of which is banned in Texas, even if the sample came from a state where it is legal.

When asked for comment, owner/general manager Jerry Jones joked:

“First of all, I’m seeing that he is, which is more often the case than not, this sounds a little hollow, but he is maturing.

“So, he’s 34 miles an hour less this year. Ninety-eight to 66, that’s improvement. We’ll keep working. We’ll get it down.”

Jones' comments, however, did not sit well with the community, who demanded that he punish Williams for such a brazen incident, especially give the aftermath of the dealier Henry Ruggs incident. They took to X to make their feelings known:

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Jerry Jones does not expect Sam Williams to miss playing time after arrest

But despite all the public backlash, Jerry Jones is not going to let the legal troubles affect Sam Williams's playing time. In that same media scrum, he said:

“I don’t anticipate this impacting his time on the field. And I do have all the details. There are some lessons to be learned there for everybody."

He continued:

“He hit the wrong combination of things. When you add those together … it’s something that everybody ought to think about.”

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A history of Sam Williams' legal troubles

Sam Williams' legal troubles can be stretched far back to his collegiate days. When he was with the Ole Miss Rebels, he was suspended in his junior season for suspected sexual battery. The school's statement at the time read:

“We have suspended Sam Williams indefinitely from all team activities. We take these charges very seriously and will allow the legal system to run its course before making further determinations on his status in our program.”

The charges against Williams were eventually dropped, and the following year he broke the school record for most sacks in one season - 10.5.

He ultimately went 56th overall with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, with Jerry Jones claiming that the organization had carefully vetted him:

"We thoroughly investigated those allegations and are completely satisfied that those are well within our comfort level.”

But then late into his rookie season, Williams was served an arrest warrant after he went 98 in a 55-mph zone in the suburb of Plano and totaled his Corvette. An Infiniti had been attempting to turn in front of him when they collided. Both drivers walked away without serious injury.