IRVING -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones provided a more detailed explanation Wednesday of why veteran linebacker Rolando McClain has missed all three weeks of voluntary OTAs at Valley Ranch.

Jones, during an interview on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM), said that McClain has remained in his home state of Alabama to spend time with his two sons.

"It's fair to everybody to understand that Rolando's boys, his family lives in Alabama and he doesn't live with them. His former significant other is where they are. His offseason is spent with those boys and that's an understanding we have when he came through the door," Jones said. "He has to be there to spend time with them and we expect him to compensate for that. These are volunteer workouts he's missing and just coming in we haven't had any time with him since he's been with the Cowboys when he didn't have quite a few if not many times that he wasn't on the field for these volunteer workouts. A lot of times it's been because of limitation, it's been because of some injury, some rehab going on, but many times it's to be there because of his boys. They motivate him and they are the reason for the most part or not the reason but certainly one of the big reasons he participates in pro sports. He gets slack, but you have to earn a special consideration and to some degree if you look at how his impact when he's there with us on the field, what he can do for our team. If you look at his background in the NFL, how he's evolved, I'm glad he's a Cowboy."

Jones was asked why the Cowboys couldn't just fly the children to Dallas to be with McClain.

"There's all kinds of ways to go. This is a young family, they're young boys and believe it or not, they have some routines and things that they're used to in their lives," Jones said. "Let's just leave it at this: Certainly there are no surprises with Rolando at all."

Midway through his first season with the Cowboys in 2014, McClain missed some practice time to return to Alabama because of custody hearings involving his two sons.

Prior to joining the Cowboys, McClain was involved in two active custody suits in Alabama. McClain has a son with Capri Knox, whom he married in April 2013 but divorced five months later. Knox is a former track and field athlete at Alabama. McClain also has a younger son with Lindsey Hawkins, who is from his hometown of Decatur, Ala.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has consistently said that McClain is dealing with a family situation in Alabama. Garrett had said he expected McClain back for Week 2 of OTAs. But now in Week 3, McClain hasn't returned, and the Cowboys aren't even sure if he'll be back for the club's mandatory three-day minicamp next week to conclude offseason practices.

Twitter: @DMN_George