JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ended his 38-day holdout — without a new contract.
Jones-Drew arrived at the facility Sunday morning and chatted with teammates before meeting with coaches. ESPN first reported Jones-Drew’s decision.
The NFL’s leading rusher in 2011, Jones-Drew skipped the team’s entire offseason in a contract dispute. With coach Mike Mularkey able to fine him up to $30,000 a day — plus $60,000 for a three-day, mandatory minicamp — Jones-Drew could be out $1.2 million this season. He is scheduled to make $4.45 million in 2012 and $4.95 million next year.
Jones-Drew wanted to renegotiate the final two years of a five-year, $31 million deal that paid him nearly $22 million the last three seasons. Owner Shad Khan and general manager Gene Smith refused, not wanting to set a precedent of paying players in the middle of lucrative deals.
CT scheduled for Cowboys’ Witten
IRVING, Texas — Jason Witten is doing everything he can to be ready to play in the Dallas Cowboys’ season opener.
Yet no matter how good he feels, the seven-time Pro Bowl tight end won’t know until Tuesday if he will be medically cleared. That is when he is scheduled to have a CT scan to determine if his lacerated spleen has healed enough to play.
It has been only three weeks since Witten was hurt when he took a hard hit in the side during the Aug. 13 preseason opener at Oakland. He had limited participation in practice Sunday, only his second day back in pads. Dallas opens the season Wednesday at the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Sunday also marked the return to practice for cornerback Mike Jenkins, and Jones said he “practiced well.” The former Pro Bowler missed all offseason work and training camp because of reconstructive shoulder surgery after last season.
Nicks emphatic about playing
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks stood at his locker and didn’t even wait for the question to be asked.
Nicks was held out of Sunday’s practice for the NFL kickoff Wednesday night against the Dallas Cowboys. But he said emphatically “I’m playing, period.”
Just hours earlier there was some concern when Nicks rode a stationary bike as the Super Bowl champions stretched, and then he watched the workout.
Was the right foot that he broke this spring acting up?
The answer was no. The Giants wanted to give him some rest so he would be full speed going against the Cowboys’ new cornerbacks — Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne.
• One day after releasing him, the Giants re-signed guard Mitch Petrus. A third-year player, was waived Saturday after New York was awarded offensive tackle D.J. Jones on waivers from Philadelphia. But the claim was negated when Jones failed his physical.
Winslow experiment over
RENTON, Wash. — Kellen Winslow was released by Seattle on Saturday. Winslow was scheduled to make $3.3 million in base salary in 2012, following his trade from Tampa Bay to Seattle in May. Seattle moved quickly to fill Winslow’s spot by agreeing to terms with former Cleveland tight end Evan Moore, who was released by the Browns on Friday. Moore caught 34 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns a season ago for Cleveland.
Around the league
RAVENS: Baltimore signed safety James Ihedigbo, who started 12 games last year for the Patriots in 2011. He had 69 tackles and one pass deflection. After going undrafted in 2007, Ihedigbo, 28, signed with the New York Jets and spent his first four NFL seasons there. After playing with New England in 2011, he was re-signed this past June before being released this past Friday.
PANTHERS: Wide receiver Steve Smith (left foot infection) and linebacker Jon Beason (hamstring) are expected to play in Carolina’s Sept. 9 regular season opener at Tampa Bay after returning to practice, Carolina. However, coach Ron Rivera isn’t sure about running back Jonathan Stewart (sprained ankle). The Panthers parted ways with defensive tackle Terrell McClain, last year’s third-round draft pick, and replaced him with free agent Dwan Edwards, an eight-year veteran who was cut Friday by Buffalo.
RAMS: St. Louis claimed rookie running back Terrance Ganaway and defensive tackle Kellen Heard off waivers to fill open roster spots. The moves were made a day after wide receiver Greg Salas was traded to New England for a 2015 draft pick and cornerback Jerome Murphy was released.
SAINTS: New Orleans claimed safety Rafael Bush off waivers from Denver and waived safety Jonathon Amaya.
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