ESPN: Witten off to broadcast booth
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten plans to retire after 15 seasons and join ESPN as its lead analyst for the Monday Night Football telecast, the network reported Friday.
Witten met with owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, who said no announcement was coming Friday. Jones said he had several conversations with Witten this week and indicated the franchise leader in games, catches and yards receiving hadn’t made a final decision.
“He has some things to think about and discuss with his family from a professional perspective,” Jones said before the introductory news conference for first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch.
“He also told me those things are going to require a few more days of consideration, at least through the weekend. He has not made any decisions that are definite at this time.”
Jones said the Cowboys would have no other comment on Witten’s future the rest of the weekend, which includes the last day of the NFL Draft today.
Witten has not formally announced his retirement, but sources told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he is walking away from the game barring a last-minute change of heart.
The news on the second day of the draft could affect Dallas’ plans just a week after Witten suggested he might play until he was 40 and intended to return this coming season. Witten turns 36 early next month.
If Witten leaves Dallas, it’s the second consecutive year that a Cowboys star is retiring to go into broadcasting. Former quarterback Tony Romo became the lead analyst for CBS last season.
Witten is also the franchise leader in consecutive games, starts and consecutive starts. The 10-time Pro Bowler will finish tied with defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones, safety Bill Bates and late offensive lineman Mark Tuinei for most seasons in franchise history.
The decision by Witten also would mean the Cowboys have lost two of their top three players in career touchdown catches this month. The club released receiver Dez Bryant, the club leader with 73 TD grabs, in a cost-cutting move. Witten is third with 68, three behind Hall of Famer Bob Hayes.
A third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2003, Witten had 1,152 catches for 12,448 yards. He and Tony Gonzalez are the only tight ends with at least 1,000 catches and 10,000 yards.
But stats and flash never really defined Witten, always praised by Coach Jason Garrett as the best two-way tight end in the NFL because of his blocking ability.
Even though he was still active, the team paid tribute to him in its new practice facility with a huge picture of Witten running down the field against Philadelphia in 2007 without his helmet, which was knocked off on a hit as he stayed on his feet and kept going for almost 30 yards.
The decision by Witten would mean the lead analyst job at three networks will be held by former players who spent their entire careers with the Cowboys. Along with Witten and Romo is Fox’s Troy Aikman, who won three Super Bowls as quarterback in the 1990s.
Witten and Romo spent 14 seasons together, but never got the Cowboys to the NFC Championship Game. Dallas won two wild-card games with them, but lost both times in the divisional round.
Quarterback Dak Prescott reflected on Witten’s career during an interview on the NFL Network on Friday.
“You’ll miss the guy that’s one of the first ones to be there in the morning, one of the last ones there to leave, that’s talking all the protections, all the run game, knows the pass game,” Prescott said. “He’s ‘Old Faithful.’ He did it all. He did it all at the tight end position. He’ll be missed on and off the field.”
Prescott sounded as though he knew Witten wouldn’t be returning in 2018.
But Prescott is optimistic the Cowboys’ passing game will still get back on track even with two of his leading receivers, Witten and Dez Bryant, departing this offseason.
“Those two guys, you don’t go into the draft saying I’ve got to replace Jason Witten or I’ve got to go replace Dez Bryant,” Prescott said. “They can’t be replaced. You go find two guys that fit what we’re doing, that fit that we’re moving forward as an offense.”
Prescott said he has no worries about Witten being critical of him whenever he calls a Cowboys game on Monday Night Football. Prescott is taking the same approach as when Romo called his first Cowboys game for CBS.