Everyone is aware at just how important DeMarco Murray was to the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. The running back led the league in rushing while breaking a number of franchise records in the process. He took the pressure off Tony Romo and gave the offense the necessary balance it needed. The issue is that Murray's contract expires in March and it does not appear he is a priority for Jerry Jones.
Murray has already rejected a four-year contract offer from the Cowboys according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. While speaking with the media at the 2015 Pro Bowl, Murray stressed that while he loves playing for the Cowboys and loves his teammates, there is a level of respect that must be met.
"Obviously I love playing with these guys, love playing for Jerry, love playing for Jason [Garrett]," Murray said, via ESPN.com. "He's a helluva coach, a helluva guy. The things I've learned from him and [Jason Witten] in the four years I've been here, I'm very gracious and appreciative of it. If the chips fall that way, I'm excited and would love to come back. I don't know what's going to happen, so we'll see. I've thought about a lot of things I haven't told anyone yet, not even my agent or not even my family. You can sit back and look at the pros and cons of many different situations and you think of yourself and think of your family in these situations."
Witten is hoping that love between teammates is enough for Murray to come back to Dallas. The tight end told the media that he hopes Murray takes a smaller deal in order to return to the team. Witten is set to retire sooner rather than later and understands that Murray can help push the Cowboys to the next level in the coming years.
"You want to see him maximize that but there's no question that I hope he's thinking about guys like me when he's going through that decision," Witten said, via ESPN's Todd Archer. "I think it would be silly to not give him the credit for what he did. It's not easy to do that and I think Coach Garrett said it a few weeks back that he created a mindset for our team and that's not easy to do. He deserves a lot of that credit, DeMarco does, and so that's why you want a guy like that back because he stands for everything you want in your football team."
Right now, Jerry Jones will be focused on retaining Bryant for the long-term and then will discuss money with the running back. Witten may want Murray back, but it does not appear he is interested in taking less money right now.
