JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars linebacker Mike Peterson started talking a little smack the second that coach Jack Del Rio called for the first goal-line drill of training camp.

Then he backed it up.

Peterson shed a block, sliced through the line and stuffed running back Chauncey Washington for a loss. With his defensive teammates hootin' and hollerin' all around, Peterson just shook his head and returned to the huddle.

Then he did it again.

Peterson hammered Montell Owens in the backfield on the next play, setting off another raucous celebration. This time, as Peterson walked to the sideline, he gave a glimpse into his true feelings.

"I hope somebody's watching the film," he yelled. "If they keep running my way, I'm going to get me a contract. Somebody's going to get me a contract."

It was the first time Peterson, who is entering the final year of a six-year, $21 million deal, publicly appealed for more money.

It won't be the last.

The team's top tackler and emotional leader has become increasingly frustrated with his contract situation, so much so that he believes this could be his final season in Jacksonville. It's a troubling thought for the 10-year veteran who grew up about an hour from here, but not nearly as frightening as playing such a physical position and knowing one more injury could end his career.

"Scary ain't the word," Peterson said this week. "I never wanted it to get to this point because I didn't want it to affect my game. That's the hardest part I'm having now — going out to practice and going 100 percent and not worrying about an injury.

"I'm looking on the sideline and seeing my son and knowing it can all change in one play."

Peterson considered holding out for more money, demanding a trade or complaining through the media during the offseason. But his father was one of those "I'm-going-to-show-you-type guys," Peterson said, and he wanted to do the same. After all, Peterson has felt like he's had to prove something his entire life.

At Santa Fe High near Gainesville, he heard whispers that he would never make it at a Division I school. He promptly earned a scholarship to nearby Florida and turned into a standout linebacker. Even then, he was somewhat overshadowed by defensive teammates Reggie McGrew, Jevon Kearse and Johnny Rutledge.

Peterson believes NFL scouts might have overlooked him had they not flocked to campus in fall 1998 to watch Kearse.

"That's how they stumbled upon me," Peterson said. "I was way down, one of those maybes. Then they put the tape on of Kearse and it was like, 'Who is that guy?' I've always had to prove myself a little more."

Peterson felt slighted again after the 2002 season, when the Indianapolis Colts chose not to re-sign the former second-round draft pick. He landed in Jacksonville, close to home and one of the main building blocks for Del Rio's defense.

Peterson's first three seasons were some of the best in franchise history. He started every game and had 357 tackles, 12 sacks and six interceptions. Some even believe his 2005 campaign — 131 tackles, six sacks and three INTs — should have earned him defensive MVP honors.

He didn't get a single vote.

And not much has gone right since.

Peterson tore his left pectoral muscle early in the 2006 season and sat out the final 11 games. Without Peterson, the Jaguars lost their final three contests and missed the playoffs. Last year, Peterson was sidelined the last eight games, including two in the postseason, after breaking his right hand against San Diego.

Peterson smashed his hand against a helmet early in the second half, broke several bones and needed surgery. When linebackers coach Mark Duffner saw Peterson talking to team trainers, he walked up and asked Peterson if he was OK.

"It's the only time he's ever looked me right in the eye and lied to me," Duffner said. "Usually I can read him, but he fooled me on that one. I found out later it was a boldface lie."

Peterson stayed in for the final 32 plays, making several more tackles and helping the defense preserve a 7-point lead.

After the game, Peterson sat alone at his locker with a white towel draped over his head and an ice pack on his hand, figuring he would end another season on the sideline.

"It absolutely killed him to get injured again," Duffner said.

Peterson, who has two noticeable scars on his hand from the operation, handled the second injury much better than the first. It helped that there was a chance he could return in the playoffs. Had the Jaguars advanced to the AFC championship game, Peterson probably would have been on the field.

But Jacksonville lost to New England, and Peterson couldn't help. He hoped the Jaguars would try to extend his contract in the offseason. They paid his $1.6 million roster bonus, but didn't offer much more.

"What they offered me was a slap in my face," Peterson said. "The average person away from game, they don't understand that. They look at it as Mike Peterson is trying to be greedy. He's making millions. Why does he want more millions? It's not all about the money.

"I love the game first. Next, I want to get paid for it because this is my job. If I was playing the game and had another job, it would be different. I don't want no more than I'm worth."

The Jaguars are certainly in a precarious position. How do you re-sign a 32-year-old linebacker who's missed so much time the last two years, especially when you have drafted three other linebackers in the last five years who have shown they can be solid starters?

On the other hand, how do you part ways with the guy who probably will be the franchise's all-time leading tackler after this season and brings so much to the huddle?

"He has a big impact on the team," Duffner said. "It means a lot to him. He's a very passionate player. He's passionate about defense and he's passionate about this team. He sets the tone with his energy and his effort. He knows the responsibility that comes with that position, to be a leader and be the catalyst for everything. He relishes that opportunity."