What happened to Jerry Jones? Cowboys GM faced with sexual assault case ahead of 2023 NFL season

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is set to face off-field problems before the offseason starts.

On Monday, a Texas appellate court decided that a previously dismissed 2020 sexual assault lawsuit against Jones should proceed, reversing a previous dismissal. The initial dismissal happened in February 2022.

A woman accused the Cowboys owner of kissing her on the mouth and forcibly grabbing her without giving consent. The incident allegedly happened at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, on Sept. 16, 2018. That day, the Cowboys beat the New York Giants 20-13 to earn their first win of the season.

The appellate court ruled that the woman "made a good faith attempt to amend her pleadings in response to the court’s special exceptions order ...” therefore “... the trial court abused its discretion in dismissing appellant’s claims." The case now returns to Dallas County, where it was originally filed.

The Cowboys were also indicted in the woman's lawsuit, as she claimed that "team officials knew or should have known of Jones’s misconduct." The Cowboys owner denied the allegations and called them "malicious and harmful" in a court-filed response.

Jerry Jones' offseason has many important decisions with the Cowboys' roster

Apart from his personal issues, there are a number of important things for the owner and general manager to decide in order to get the Cowboys ready for next season.

Perhaps the most important decision is what the Cowboys will decide to do with running back Ezekiel Elliott, a player whom the Cowboys can free up to $10 million in the salary cap if they release him. While Elliott is not the same explosive player anymore, the owner loves him, and this is the main reason why the decision is so difficult.

Extending players such as Tony Pollard, who's going to be a free agent in 2023 but faces a lengthy recovery following an injury in the NFC divisional round, and Dak Prescott, who's under contract for two more years but holds a massive cap hit, are other important discussions to be held within the Cowboys' headquarters.

EVP Stephen Jones, son of Jerry, declared on Tuesday that they'll pursue a contract extension for Prescott.