Report: Maurice Jones-Drew's contract talks could be delayed

GM Dave Caldwell is concerned about Maurice Jones-Drew's health, not the RB's contract. (US Presswire)

After a prolonged holdout last summer in training camp, Maurice Jones-Drew felt confident he made the right decision by waiting until early September to return to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It could be months before the NFL's leading rusher from 2011 resumes negotiations for a new contract. Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell indicated, via Jaguars.com, that he's more focused on Jones-Drew's health than the three-time Pro Bowl running back's expiring contract. The discussions may be tabled until the latter stages of the 2013 season, Caldwell said.

Jones-Drew only appeared in six games in 2012 after suffering a lisfranc or mid-foot fracture in his left foot on Oct. 21 vs. the Raiders. The seven-year veteran reportedly participated in individual running sessions days before Jacksonville's regular-season finale vs. the Titans, but underwent surgery on Dec. 28 to end his season. Jones-Drew is expected to remain out until late May or early June. It's not known if he will participate in OTAs.

Upon his return last September from a 38-day holdout, Jones-Drew was adamant that he didn't want the contract situation to become a distraction for his team. After fielding questions from reporters for nearly 30 minutes, he declined to address any matters related to his contract for the remainder of the season.

In 2013, Jones-Drew has a cap hit of $6.8 million. It's a slight increase from his 2012 cap hit of $6.3 million. Only two running backs in the NFL, Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, had a cap hit of more than $10 million for the 2012 season.

Jones-Drew finished with a league-high 1,606 rushing yards in 2011. Ray Rice, the next closest running back, rushed for 1,364.

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