Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reveals he battled stage 4 cancer for over a decade: The drug he credits for healing him

Netflix will release an eight-episode docu-series titled “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys“ on Tuesday, August 19, chronicling Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ time with the team, how he brought them to success in the ‘90s, and how he made it into the most wealthy franchise in all of sports.

In the fifth episode, Jones dropped an unexpected hint that ended up being a bombshell. He mentioned that he’d undergone some medical treatments for cancer in Houston, Texas “about a dozen years ago”, which prompted the Dallas Morning News to investigate further.

Jerry Jones’ years-long battle with cancer

Jerry Jones is known for his eccentric personality and headline-grabbing choices, but for more than a decade, he kept a deeply personal battle entirely private.

After the private premiere of the Netflix series, Jones, now 82 years old, revealed to the DMN that he battled stage 4 melanoma for over a decade, starting in 2010. As the Cowboys are one of the most-watched teams in the NFL, it’s incredible that Jones was able to keep such a big secret for such a long time. Even more incredible is the fact that he beat stage 4 cancer. And Jones credits an experimental drug for helping him do so.

Jones shared that he underwent multiple lung and lymph node surgeries and was part of clinical trials for a then-experimental immunotherapy treatment called PD-1. That treatment, he says, saved his life.

“I now have no tumors,” Jones said. “I was saved by a fabulous treatment and great doctors and a real miracle drug called PD-1. I went into trials for that PD-1 and it has been one of the great medicines."

Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 is the full name for PD-1, and it is a target in immunotherapy that helps the immune system combat cancer. By blocking PD-1, this treatment boosts the ability of T cells to identify and eliminate cancer cells more effectively.

The revelation adds an unexpected layer to Jones’ public persona - a man who, while making bold football moves in the spotlight, was quietly facing one of life’s most serious challenges behind the scenes.

The fifth episode of the Netflix series in which Jones mentions the cancer treatments is titled “The Shootout at Valley Ranch”. The episode centers around the tumultuous relationship between he and former head coach Jimmy Johnson and their epic falling out. According to Jones, he was told by doctors during his treatment that he needed to practice meditation, but there was one exercise he struggled to execute.

“Make a list of 10 people who can just boil your blood. Start with the one at the top and wish for them the greatest things you can wish for,” Jones said of the meditation exercise. “At No. 1, I wrote down the name ‘Jimmy Johnson.’ I went back to the female doctor a few weeks later and said, ‘I can’t get past that first motherf***er’.”

Jones was eventually able to forgive Johnson, who he inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor...in 2023, years after beating the cancer, which should go to show just how damaged that relationship really was.

Related stories

Cowboys

What Jerry Jones reveals (and doesn’t) in Netflix’s Cowboys docuseries

Cowboys

The Cowboys may be closing in on a deal but it’s not with Micah Parsons

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.