IRVING, Texas – Mike Jenkins said Wednesday that he feels no bitterness toward the Cowboys for adding two starting cornerbacks in the offseason.
The 27-year-old former Pro Bowl cornerback was the only team member that didn't attend voluntary offseason workouts at Valley Ranch, leading to speculation that he was unhappy with the additions of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.
On Wednesday, Jenkins said he just wants to move on.
"Honestly I don't want to even talk about what happened," Jenkins said. "I just want to move on, move on past it. There's no bitterness, there's no nothing. It is what it is. The only thing I can try to do right now and do for myself and my team is try to help out, so however that role is and whatever they have planned is what I have to do.
"If it's anything else both sides are going to have to bite the bullet because feuding … ain't going to do nothing for none of us."
Jenkins, who missed the entire off-season program after having shoulder surgery in January, didn't play in the season opener but has practiced this week.
How much will he play Sunday against the Seahawks is still to be determined. Jenkins said he's going to be active but didn't know if he was going to play.
"I'll definitely be back on the field," Jenkins said. "How? When? I don't know yet. I can't get that answer. I don't have any communication with the coaches to know what they want to do. I'm just there. I don't want to be no distraction or anything like that, so I don't want to make it seem like I'm that way. Whatever they come to me and tell me they want me to do, that's what I'm going to do."
Jenkins said he "had a little contact" at the beginning of Wednesday's practice and that he felt like he was ready physically. He added that he has not been wearing any type of extra shoulder protection.
Now that he's ready to compete in a game for the first time since having the operation, Jenkins admitted that not being able to play has been tough.
"Real tough but mostly physical tough for me coming back from surgery, doing the stuff I had to do to try to get back onto the field," he said. "It's tough. There's nothing easy. I expected it to be tough."
Being in the final year of his contract, some might believe that Jenkins would be concerned with having a good season to show the Cowboys and every other team in the league that he can still start.
However, Jenkins says he's not concerned.
"That's not my problem," he said. "My job is to come out here every day and do what I have to do and continue to do that no matter what. They have their plans no matter what I do. Concerned is not going to do nothing for me or them."
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
