Perhaps it’s pre-free agency posturing, but Jerry Jones sounds less than confident that defensive end DeMarcus Ware will be back next season.
Ware struggled through the least productive season of his career in 2013, posting career lows in tackles with 40 and sacks with six. He also missed three games due to a hamstring injury, the first and only time he’s missed games since coming into the league in 2006. In an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Monday, Jones pointed out that Ware’s health combined with his massive contract presents the team with a very difficult decision.
“There’s no question when you are where we are on the cap, even though we’ve had some new cap space added, and you have a defensive player that’s your highest paid defensive player, and he hasn’t been on the field much the last two years, that has to be considered,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You can’t have it all.”
Head coach Jason Garrett said earlier this offseason that Ware was hurt not only by the injuries themselves, but by the practice time he missed due to those injuries. Apparently, Jones agrees with his coach.
“He’s had a tough time getting on the practice field because of various injuries,” Jones said. “All of that we have to weigh with how much of that has impacted him for the future as well as where he is in his career and with his age. Those are the ingredients in the stew. Now we’ve got to stir it up and see where we’re going. It will be a very difficult call for us because of how much salary cap he uses.”
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