"Let's use Jerry Jones as a prop to paint America as racist": Jason Whitlock slams ESPN for using Denzel Washington to villainize Cowboys owner

In a Wednesday segment of "Fearless" on his YouTube channel, Sports commentator Jason Whitlock blasted ESPN for what he claims was a staged attack on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and he believes Hollywood star Denzel Washington was at the center of it.

Whitlock’s comments came one day after Washington appeared on First Take and accused Jones of caring more about his wallet than winning, citing the team’s ongoing contract dispute with star linebacker Micah Parsons. Washington even slipped in a line from his upcoming movie to hammer his point:

“All money ain’t good money, Jerry!”

Whitlock argues this wasn’t a genuine fan speaking. Instead, he claims ESPN used Washington’s fame to push a narrative about Jones. In his view, the conversation wasn’t about helping fans understand the Cowboys’ situation. Rather, it was about serving the interests of powerful agents, media elites, and a small circle of insiders.

"A group of actors, well-paid actors, black actors got to put on a scene on First Take of, man, Jerry Jones is the bad guy," Whitlock said. "This isn't a discussion that helps fans get a better understanding of what's going on with Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons, and the Dallas Cowboys. This isn't serving sports fans anytime, anywhere. It's serving the puppet masters. It has nothing to do with you."

He added that the result is a one-sided portrayal of Jones as a greedy, out-of-touch white evangelical man, while ignoring his decades of loyalty and financial support to players of all backgrounds.

“There's a side of Jerry Jones's story that needs to be pushed out,” Whitlock insisted. "These players, black and white, that he has absolutely loved and showered with affection and millions of dollars. People will tell that story. But while he's alive, let's use him as a prop to paint America as racist and that every white evangelical man is racist and unfair and has no interest in doing the right thing."

He further noted how Jones stood by Michael Irvin during scandals and overpaid for Dak Prescott. Whitlock concluded by saying:

"When Jerry Jones passes away, the people that are going to come out of the closet and tell story after story about what Jerry Jones did for them is going to be incredibly long...all this garbage that they've been spewing, it's all going to disappear."

Interestingly, Washington has been a Cowboys fan since the 1960s, inspired by his youth football team’s resemblance to Dallas’ style.

Stephen A. Smith ripped into Jerry Jones in wake of Micah Parsons' contract controversy

Stephen A. Smith blasted Jerry Jones for 'flagrant disrespect' towards Micah Parsons.

The Cowboys owner reportedly bypassed Parsons’ agent and treated informal chats with the linebacker as legitimate negotiations, which Smith slammed as manipulative and insulting.

Parsons, a three-time All-Pro and cornerstone of Dallas’ defense, has requested a trade amid stalled extension talks. Despite nursing a back injury, he is still a presence at the team's training camp, even with rising tension with the front office.

Smith’s concern goes beyond football.

“To talk to a 25- or 26-year-old player and act like that’s tantamount to an agreement without his representation… that’s taking advantage. That’s bullying,” he said on First Take.

The Dallas Cowboys are no strangers to ugly contract talks with their top players. In recent years, quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have both been part of long negotiations.

Prescott finished his rookie contract and spent two seasons under the franchise tag before landing a huge deal, while Lamb skipped part of training camp before agreeing to his new contract.