Give it up for Dallas Cowboys legend DeMarcus Ware.

On Wednesday, Jerry Jones announced Ware's name is going up in the franchise's Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium to be immortalized in Cowboys history. The honor follows Ware's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this month. 

You know Ware's accolades by now. The most sacks in team history. The second fastest NFL player to ever get to 100 sacks, only behind the legendary Reggie White. A four-time First-Team All-Pro with three Second-Team honors on top. Undoubtedly, Ware earned a place among Cowboys legends like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Charles Haley, and Bob Lily, among many others. 

Despite all of this, let's face it: Wednesday's announcement didn't really feel like it was about Ware. Did it?

Sure, you can't help but feel happy about No. 94, who headlined many iconic moments wearing the silver and navy. This kind of news is supposed to be all about him and the memories he made for so many Cowboys fans. But naturally, his moment isn't all about him because Jerry Jones has made it about someone else over the last two decades. 

Ware isn't just going into the Ring of Honor. He's entering the Ring of Honor before former head coach Jimmy Johnson. 

Back in June, I wrote the following when Jones confirmed that for yet another year, Johnson's name wouldn't be going up in the Ring of Honor:

Every year that goes by in which the Ring of Honor doesn't include Johnson, it's a clear attempt from the Cowboys owner to diminish Johnson's place in franchise history. As an unwanted secondary effect, the meaning of the Ring itself is tarnished by Johnson's absence.

Wednesday was confirmation of that constantly diminishing meaning. Following the announcement, Jones was understandably bombarded with questions about Jimmy when they were all supposed to be about Ware's legacy. Reactions on social media were not just celebratory of Ware as much as they were about Jimmy. Yes, it should have been about Ware. He earned it. But it wasn't.

"There's no waiting as much as it's how and when we do something," Jerry said via Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins about Johnson not getting in. "The waiting term isn’t part of this process, in that sense everybody that’s going to go in there in the future is waiting."

But Jerry, deep down, has to know that there is waiting involved. Every year, when discussing the Hall of Fame, we note who's getting in in their first ballot. Just last year, Cowboys fans got outraged at Ware's snubbing in his first year of eligibility. The waiting term is relevant.

It's particularly relevant when every big-time player from the 90s is there and the guy who coached them to two Super Bowl wins isn't. It's undeniably relevant when the waiting extends for almost three full decades. Jones says it's about how they do it. Well, consider this: In 2021, Jones claimed he didn't want to take away from Johnson's Hall of Fame year by inducting him into the Ring of Honor. In 2023, he didn't mind doing that for Ware. 

We've suspected for a long time that the Ring's meaning was at an all-time low. Failing to get properly excited about Ware, one of my favorite players ever, confirmed every suspicion for me. 

Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware Hall of Fame Speech: ‘Don’t Kill Him’

Former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos legend DeMarcus Ware shares stunning life story during Hall of Fame induction speech. Read the full transcript.

Featured image via Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports