Coming off the worst statistical season of his career, Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware remains one of the highest paid members of the team and, for the first time in his nine-year career, some around town are wondering if he’s still worth the gargantuan figures he’s pulling in--a question that would’ve been unthinkable as recently as this time last year.
Ware spent 2013 dealing with a slew of injuries, to his quad, back and elbow--the last of which will probably require offseason surgery--and finished with career-lows in both tackles (40) and sacks (six) while playing in 13 games. He is due $12.2 million in 2014, and is under contract through 2015, the last couple years of the massive six-year extension he signed back in 2009.
Shortly after the season-ending loss to the Eagles, Ware said he was open to restructuring his contract to help free up some much needed cap space, but not taking a pay cut. Asked about Ware’s future with the team in a recent appearance on 105.3-FM The Fan recently, owner Jerry Jones was unwilling to give up much, aside from a reminder of how great Ware is when healthy.
“I couldn’t comment about any player under contract, their status,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “And certainly, you can imagine the sensitivity that would be involved. You must hear me say this, there’s no one that I think, when healthy, is any more effective for us as a defensive player than DeMarcus Ware. Probably where you start on your entire defensive scheme is with your pressure player, so he plays a key role for us.”
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