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Jerry Jones says Cowboys were concerned about DeMarco Murray's injury history

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

DeMarco Murray put together the best season of his career in 2014, rushing for a league-high 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys

It wasn't enough for the Cowboys to retain him, though, allowing him to join their arch-rival Philadelphia Eagles during free agency. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team was concerned about Murray's injury history, with his 2014 campaign marking the first time he played an entire 16-game season in his four-year career. 

"You worry about injury (with Darren McFadden), but we were worried about injury with Murray," Jones said on PFT Live via NFL.com's Chris Wesseling. "In eight seasons, four in Oklahoma and four with the Cowboys, Murray only had two injury-free seasons.

"And so the position is one you have to take into consideration no matter what the skill level is. They take a lot of hits, a lot of punishment, and you got a good chance to have an injury issue. And that's why we couldn't make that kind of commitment of dollars to that position."

Jones's logic appears to be questionable on first glance, with the newly-acquired McFadden also being perpetually injured. His 2014 season was also the first time he finished all 16 games. 

Running behind the league's best offensive line, McFadden will have a chance to record his second-straight injury-free season. However, if Murray's checkered medical past was the sole reason the Cowboys didn't retain him, the prevailing thinking is somewhat dubious. 

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