And, stop me if you've heard this one before: Jerry Jones is in even MORE trouble with the NFL.

I said, before this season even started, that the league was going to have to force Jerry Jones to sell the Cowboys.

And now, with the latest announcement, it appears that day might be incrementally closer...

Jerry Jones, once it's decided exactly how much the league had to pay lawyers to defend the Ezekiel Elliot suspension, will tack on that amount (and probably additional millions for "Conduct Unbecoming" -- PFT reports they are two separate situations) in a fine to Jones.

Fact is:  There's no other penalty that's going to work.  There's no other penalty that's going to allow the Cowboys to move forward from all this.

Jerry Jones has been fined the last three seasons (and the last two, the maximum amount allowed of $500,000) for multiple player suspensions under the drug and personal conduct policies.

There was some discussion last year that the NFL could force Jones to sell the Cowboys.

Yes, I understand the owners all make money and no one wants to bust that up -- but there would be a tacit admission on the part of the corporation that is the NFL here:  That the "bad boy" and "druggie" and "thug" image of "America's Team" is the basis on which a lot of the merchandise and other monies the Cowboys make is being made.

And, if you want to go to matters more pertinent to this blog, consider the last three eliminations of the Cowboys, and wonder whether any of them happen in a regime not as permissive as Jones' has been as owner of the Cowboys.