Jason Witten is hoping the 17th time’s a charm.
Speaking in the most definitive terms yet since the season ended, the legendary Cowboys tight end confirmed that he intends to suit up for another NFL campaign. And while he made no bones about the fact that he wants it to be for the only team he’s ever played for, he was also crystal-clear in acknowledging that his 17th year may see him wearing a different uniform.
Witten was at The Star in Frisco on Tuesday to present the third annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. This year’s winner was junior offensive lineman Trey Smith, from Witten’s alma mater of Tennessee.
But unsurprisingly, the eleven-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 38 in May, was also asked about his future. Witten is set to become a free agent next month, and has been eyed as a strong coaching candidate in the league.
“Coaching is in the future, but right now I want to play while I can,” Witten said via the team website. “We’ll see where that takes place.”
Witten playing for another team? It’s unthinkable to most Cowboys fans. He admits that the notion is “strange” for him, too.
“Anytime you explore that option, you want to find somewhere that’s the right fit, somewhere you have a chance to win, and somewhere you can help contribute,” Witten explained. “I haven’t allowed my mind to go there because I’m hopeful, like anybody, I finish here with a star on my helmet.”
The 16-year veteran undoubtedly showed his age in 2019 after a one-year retirement. The expected timeshare at tight end with Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz never really materialized, with Witten playing over 75 percent of the offensive snaps. But Witten will no longer be able to count on Jason Garrett’s loyalty keeping him on the field. New head coach Mike McCarthy is unlikely to let Witten dominate the snap count in the same way… and, in fact, may not even keep him on the team at all.
Witten knows that, for the first time in a very long time, his employment with the Cowboys depends purely on a coach’s decision.
“It’s been a little bit, taking a little longer than I hoped for. But I just think with so many changes happening inside the building, [we’re] just working through that. ”
Witten had a “really good visit” with McCarthy shortly after his hiring was announced, but the two have not spoken since. The tight end has, though, been in “constant communication” with Jerry and Stephen Jones. Witten knows that the front office has several big-ticket deals to juggle this offseason, but he also knows that a go/no-go call on his 17th season in Dallas will have to come soon.
“It’s our hope to have those talks soon after the combine ends, before free agency.”
Witten told media that he took a step back and “unemotionally” examined the Dallas roster in determining if a 17th season with the current group would be worth the grind.
“It’s a good football team,” Witten concluded. “It’s got a lot of guys who have a lot of sweat and time together… [I] think that I can help them in a lot of ways.”
To chase the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him in what is a slam-dunk first-ballot Hall of Fame career, Big Witt is ready to spend another season’s worth of sweat and time. Of that he is sure. He is, however, less sure where he’ll be doing it.
“Of course, I want that to be with the Dallas Cowboys. I’ll always be a Dallas Cowboy… There’s nothing I want more than to win a championship here.”