T.O.: Jones Broke Trust in Dallas Divorce

It doesn't matter how long Terrell Owens stays with a team, his name always comes up when he leaves. In the three seasons Owens was in Dallas, he used games against the Eagles as public venting sessions about Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid.

Now, Owens is in Buffalo, and he talked to FanHouse on Thursday afternoon about his release from the Cowboys. Owens said he talked to owner Jerry Jones twice about rumors he was going to get let go. Jones, according to Owens, told him he was fine.

But he wasn't.

The Cowboys cut Owens after three seasons.

"I'd say it hurt," Owens said. "I was very disappointed, especially when you established a lot of trust gained for three years that I was there, and when somebody blatantly tells you you're not going anywhere on two different occasions, and you've established that bond. If you don't have a man's word, and it doesn't stand for anything, there's really nothing left and there's not a whole lot of trust."

Owens wouldn't call Jones a liar, but things change all the time in the NFL and he knows that. "I was more than 100-percent confident that I wasn't going anywhere," Owens said. "But it was disappointing. It made me really think about what my grandmother said to me growing up. She told me, 'Never put trust in man. Put you're trust in God', and from that standpoint, that's how it's going to be."

Around the same time Owens was talking about Jones, the Cowboys owner was discussing Owens. Jones admitted during Dallas' organized team activities on Thursday that he follows what Owens says and does because of their unique relationship.

"I do, I'm drawn when he's featured on certain segments," Jones said. "Yes, I read carefully what's written. I do that because I have a good relationship with him. I do, and I know that I'm very confident that we have communicated well, so the answer is yes. ... I look at it."


Recently, Owens wrote on Twitter he thought offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo were the main reasons why he was cut. Owens said he was responding to a fan's question about his time in Dallas.

Yet, Owens is bitter toward the quarterback. The two were close back in 2006 when Romo became the starter. But over time, the relationship soured. Two weeks ago, Romo said he wouldn't answer a question about whether he talked to Owens.

There is a rumor that Owens tried to reach out to Romo, and the quarterback didn't return a call. Owens maintains he didn't call Romo.

Why?

"Why would I reach out to him and say goodbye," Owens said. "I'm the one that got released. What sense does that make."

Owens believes Jones wanted him to stay. With good reason.

In three seasons, Owens had 175 catches for 3,587 yards with 38 touchdowns and 11 100-yard games. In two playoff appearances, though, the Cowboys failed to win a game. There were too many distractions in the locker room, Owens' fault or not. Jones said the decision to cut Owens was bigger than him and had nothing to do with Romo or Garrett.

"I know how the decision was made, and the very people he's mentioning might not know, because I had to ultimately put all the rationale that I had together and make the decision," Jones said. "All I'm saying is, if he or anybody else mention people it could be news to them. That's how the decision came about."

Owens believes there was something fishy regarding his release by the Cowboys.

"Maybe it was out of his hands a little bit," Owens said of Jones. "Maybe it was conspired to get me out of there. But I went through this little period of being down about it [and] now I'm gone and will never forget it."