Jason Witten retired from the NFL after the 2017 season. After a lackluster stint in the broadcast booth with ESPN’s Monday Night Football, he returned to Dallas in 2019 to rejoin the Cowboys before heading to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Witten is now calling it a career, again. On Wednesday, the Cowboy’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards decided to leave the gridiron after 17 seasons. After a stellar career that was filled with tons of Hall of Fame credentials, Witten goes into the next phase of his life seemingly at peace with what he did on the football field.
“A coach once told me, ‘The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example,'” Witten told ESPN’s Todd Archer. “As I hang it up, I walk away knowing that for 17 seasons I gave it my absolute all. I am proud of my accomplishments as a football player on the field and the example I tried to set off of it. Football is a great game that has taught me many valuable lessons, and I look forward to passing on that knowledge to the next generation.”
Witten was an ironman throughout his career. He played in 255 out of a possible 256 games for the Cowboys and suited up for all 16 games for the Raiders this season. His only time on the sidelines came during his rookie campaign in 2003 when he suffered a broken jaw.
His accomplishments are quite impressive. Witten accumulated 1,215 receptions for 12,977 yards and 72 touchdowns (second to Dez Bryant) during his tenure with the Cowboys. For his career, his 1,228 receptions rank fourth in NFL history and second for all tight ends. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls, made four All-Pro teams, won the Walter Payton Man of the Year (2012), and the Bart Starr Award (2013).
So what’s next for Witten? A return to the broadcast booth is highly unlikely, however, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder, coaching could be in his future.
“He has an interest in coaching and agreed to be a position coach for an NFL team if it hired a certain head coach candidate.”
No matter what direction Witten’s life goes he’s cemented his legacy as one of the greatest ever at the tight end position and has set a standard that will be hard to duplicate.
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