Cowboys say decal denial won’t derail unity message

Owner Jerry Jones told reporters he understood the NFL’s decision to not allow the Dallas Cowboys to wear the ‘Arm-in-Arm’ decal in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.

So did coach Jason Garrett and tight end Jason Witten.

The Cowboys unveiled the decal before their first training camp practice, walking out “arm-in-arm” with Dallas city and police officials including Mayor Mike Rawlings, police chief David Brown and families of four of the five police officers killed last month.

The Cowboys used the moment to show “unity” and have worn the decal throughout training camp. They hoped to carry it into the preseason, but were denied by the league.

“What’s really important is what we tried to do, and that’s to unite that community, our community, and show that support for those families and really honor the leadership of our city,” said Witten, who spearheaded the ceremony. “I think that decal not being on the helmet is not going to stop that. It’s going to continue to do that not only now but in the future as we move forward. As players and an organization that is something we’re going to continue to support.”

Garrett share the same thoughts.

“We certainly understand the position the league takes on this, but it won’t diminish our support for that concept of unity and supporting our police force and what they do to make our lives batter on a daily basis,” Garrett said. “That arm-in-arm image is something that we really believe in. You heard me talk about it a couple weeks back.

“What we’re trying to do as a football team is build a team that’s close. We talk a lot about unity and having each other’s backs and certainly they embody that.”

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Cowboys say decal denial won’t derail unity message."