Jason Witten came out of retirement to suit back up for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. Witten returned to the Cowboys after a failed broadcasting stint with ESPN. It got REAL ugly. He may have established himself as the worst broadcaster of all-time. Instead of getting fired, Witten re-upped with the Cowboys. Here’s the question we should start asking. Does Jason Witten even have anything left in the tank?
Witten, 37, last played in the NFL during the 2017 season. The Dallas tight end finished that season with 63 catches for 560 yards. Both of those marks were the lowest of his career since his rookie season in 2003. Witten has certainly exceeded his third round draft status from the University of Tennessee. The issue is that now Witten is two years removed from numbers that were the worst of his career since his rookie campaign.
For Witten to make a real impact in Dallas, he would at least have to replicate those 2017 numbers. Can he do it? That’s a huge if. Speed has never been on Witten’s side. The guy just has a knack for getting open, is tough as nails, and has reliable hands. Not playing football for over a year while being in an obvious decline could be a disaster waiting to happen.
The good news is that Dallas essentially got nothing out of there tight end position in 2018. Rico Gathers never figured it out. I thought there was a chance he would. Geoff Swaim put together a 26 catch season. He’s not even on the roster anymore. If Witten doesn’t have it anymore, Blake Jarwin is the next man up. He’s coming off a 27 catch season. Dalton Schultz is the only other tight end on the roster. Yeah, exactly.
All is not lost. Dallas is a really talented team. At least they will start the season with Amari Cooper and an improved Michael Gallup. Even Randall Cobb is probably an upgrade over Cole Beasley. Nevertheless, once again the tight end position is a huge question mark. If Jason Witten has anything left, it will be a huge boost for the Cowboys. My guess is, he’s probably washed up. Time will tell.
