Jerry Jones may be worth $8.5 billion already, according to Forbes, but that never stops him from looking for his next meal ticket. And the Dallas Cowboys’ owner may have found it in the form of another big name from the Lone Star State.

Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys have had a busy offseason

The football season may culminate with the Super Bowl in February, but the activity never really stops for NFL owners and general managers. Look no further than what the Dallas Cowboys have done since completing an 8-8 season with a 47-16 rout of Washington on Dec. 29.

Jerry Jones kicked off the offseason by officially cutting ties with head coach Jason Garrett and hiring Mike McCarthy as his replacement on Jan. 7. When the new league season commenced in March, Jones locked received receiver Amari Cooper into a five-year contract to keep him out of free agency and applied the franchise tag to quarterback Dak Prescott. The latter move created months of suspense and speculation over whether a long-term deal might be worked out.

He closed out March by signing Carolina Panthers defensive tackles Gerald McCoy, a 10-year veteran with six Pro Bowl appearances, and Dontari Poe, who is entering his ninth season.

Working from his yacht as the NFL held its draft during the peak of the pandemic, Jones filled Cowboys needs by grabbing receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round and cornerback Byron Jones in the second.

And, of course, Jones picked up protection at quarterback by signing Andy Dalton to back up Prescott.

Jerry Jones’ latest move should have fans salivating

Jerry Jones has never been one to neglect the business side of the Dallas Cowboys, which is why the franchise he bought for $140 million in 1989 is worth $5.5 billion, according to Forbes’ most recent list.

Much of the massive growth in value can be attributed to the wild success of the NFL, whose TV contracts alone virtually assure every franchise of turning an annual profit. But that doesn’t mean Jones has stopped grinding on the local level. In fact, he just added a new business partner just in time for the start of the 2020 season.

The team and Whataburger announced Sept. 8 that the fast-food chain is the “Official Burger of the Dallas Cowboys.” The partnership marks the first time that Whataburger has been designated an official burger of an NFL team, according to the San Antonio Current.

Details of the agreement were not disclosed. It’s a safe bet that Whataburger’s trademark orange and white colors will be prominent at AT&T Stadium as Jones proceeds with plans to allow fans to attend home games despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s the deal with Whataburger?

McDonald’s has long been the biggest player in the burger restaurant business.  QSR Magazine, which tracks the fast-food industry, reported in August 2019 that the chain did $38.5 billion in domestic sales in 2018. Wendy’s and Burger King round out the top three, far behind McDonald’s.

Sitting at No. 7 on the list is Whataburger, the new partner of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. Headquartered in San Antonio, Whataburger has a relatively modest 830 locations in 10 states and did a little better than $2.4 billion in business.

What makes the privately-owned company a big name in the industry is that its annual sales volume of $2,928,000 per location is the best in the burger industry. That makes for a natural partnership with the most valuable franchise in pro sports.