HEADLINES

Jason Witten

Jason Witten Did Not Discuss Cowboys’ 2025 Staff, Open To Future Dallas Position

February 13th, 2025 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

As the Cowboys searched for Mike McCarthy‘s replacement, Jason Witten emerged as a potential candidate. The All-Pro tight end will not be with the team in 2025, though, and he recently confirmed a position on Dallas’ staff was never discussed.

“I did not talk to [owner] Jerry [Jones] about it,” Witten confirmed (video link via All DLLS). “I think they went through a thorough process for them and got to a place where they felt like Brian [Schottenheimer] was the guy. I never worked with Brian or any of that, but I’ll always pull for the Cowboys,”

Witten spent the first 16 years of his decorated career with the Cowboys, and he has been mentioned as a candidate to return to the organization at some point on the sidelines. The 42-year-old was reported to be a head coaching contender last month, something which raised eyebrows given his complete lack of experience at the NFL and college levels. Witten has worked as head coach for Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas for the past four years; that span has included two straight state championships.

A move to other coaching opportunities in the future will be possible whenever Witten chooses to take a new challenge. That could eventually take the form of a role with the Cowboys; the possibility of a non-head coach title for 2025 was floated before the Schottenheimer hire which would have paved the way for Witten to become an heir apparent. Such a scenario is something Witten would entertain down the road.

“Of course that’s a long-term goal of mine to one day get back there, when the right opportunity comes,” he added. “I think for me to be able to coach my son and take over a program and win back-to-back state championships at that level, it’s been really, really special and memories that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. When that right time and the right opportunity comes, I’m excited to embark on that next chapter.”

Schottenheimer will call plays on offense for Dallas this season, one in which Klayton Adams will be in place for his first career OC gig. An agreement sending Witten back to the Cowboys (presumably working on the offensive side of the ball to start) could be in play at some point in the future, but for now nothing on that front is in the works.

Cowboys Address Mike McCarthy Firing Delay; Team Extends Will McClay

January 29th, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have taken plenty of heat for their decision to delay Mike McCarthy‘s ouster only to circle back and promote his two-year OC. Brian Schottenheimer is now the Cowboys’ HC, rising to a top job despite not interviewing for one anywhere else over the past decade.

Labeling this hire “a risk, not a Hail Mary,” Jerry Jones said the Cowboys’ delay in separating from McCarthy came from knowing the team had Schottenheimer as an option, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer and NFL.com’s Jane Slater note. The Cowboys did not part ways with McCarthy until a week after Black Monday.

Because no other team was connected to Schottenheimer, it also stood to reason the Cowboys could have waited and conducted a more thorough search — rather than meeting with just three external candidates (Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier, Kellen Moore). Jones indicated (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) he did not feel he needed to meet with higher-profile candidates like Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn due to Schottenheimer having a better understanding of the Cowboys’ current setup. This stance will certainly be criticized due to the Cowboys coming off a 7-10 record and refusing to extend McCarthy.

Moving quickly did keep Schottenheimer off the coordinator market, but the veteran staffer had not been connected to any OC jobs elsewhere, either. Jones also said Schottenheimer received plenty of support from players. Dak Prescott is among them, indicating (via Cowboys.com) his new head coach “means a lot to me.” Prescott stumped for McCarthy during the season’s second half, but the Cowboys are taking a half-measure of sorts by keeping his coordinator on. Prescott and Schottenheimer’s good relationship is believed to have been a key driver for this unexpected promotion.

Jones had said McCarthy talks never moved into true negotiations, but the sides are believed to have discussed contract length. That was viewed as a hang-up, and McCarthy has since bowed out of the Saints’ HC search. He will not coach in 2025. Meanwhile, a staffer he hired despite being tied to the Urban Meyer Jaguars season will replace him in Dallas.

Schottenheimer, 51, did not call plays during his OC stint but confirmed (via All DLLS’ Clarence Hill) he will next season. The second-generation NFL coach called plays for the Jets, Rams and Seahawks previously. The Jets and Seahawks, respectively, fired Schottenheimer, whose St. Louis departure came when he accepted the Georgia OC job in 2015. But Russell Wilson‘s second half of his Seattle stay may well be what secures him Hall of Fame entry; Schottenheimer was calling the shots for that period, which featured three top-nine Seahawks offenses.

The Cowboys are expected to retain several of McCarthy’s assistants, Archer adds. Assistant QBs coach Ryan Feder and assistant O-line coach Ramon Chinyoung are likely among them, as they attended Schottenheimer’s introductory presser. The team is also aiming to keep tight ends coach Lunda Wells, per Hill, who adds other teams are also interested in hiring him. The Cowboys recently met with Kerry Joseph about the QBs coach position, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. Joseph served as the Bears’ QBs coach last season, having followed Shane Waldron to Chicago. Prior to Waldron’s Seattle stay, Joseph began his Seahawks stint under Schottenheimer as an offensive assistant in 2020. Previous QBs coach Scott Tolzien is not expected to stay under Schottenheimer.

Meanwhile, no plans to add Jason Witten to this year’s staff are in place, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. Witten had been loosely rumored as a potential HC candidate, despite only having high school coaching experience, and also loomed as someone Jones was interested in bringing in for a non-HC role — as a potential promotion loomed down the line — but it does not sound like the former Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end will be part of Schottenheimer’s first staff.

Lastly, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with one of their cornerstone staffers on an extension. VP of player personnel Will McClay is sticking around on a multiyear deal, Archer reports. This is not especially surprising, as McClay has been choosey with his GM interviews in recent years and is now in his third decade with the Cowboys.

The Commanders, Chargers and Panthers showed interest last year, but McClay withdrew his name from consideration. Rather than pursue a GM role, McClay has said in the past he is happy where he is in Dallas. While Jones heads up Dallas’ personnel department as the team’s de facto GM, McClay has been essential to the team’s blueprint by providing impact draft picks.

McClay has headed up the Cowboys’ scouting department since 2014 but has been with the Cowboys since 2002. McClay has helped identify the likes of Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and Tyler Smith as All-Pros from Round 1. Prescott also arrived as a fourth-rounder on McClay’s watch. While Jones’ moves with veteran personnel have drawn considerable scrutiny, McClay’s ability to bring in top-caliber talent via the draft has been vital to the Cowboys’ mission.

Kellen Moore, Jason Witten Viewed As Strong Contenders For Cowboys’ HC Position?

January 17th, 2025 at 11:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the discourse around the Cowboys’ head coaching vacancy has been dominated by Deion Sanders. While it remains to be seen how willing the Colorado coach and owner Jerry Jones will be to move forward with such a hire, other names are worth watching.

Former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is on Dallas’ interview list. He will speak with the team today before ultimately turning his attention back to the Eagles’ upcoming divisional round game. Moore vastly outranks longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in terms of time spent on the sidelines, but his name has also been floated with respect to the HC gig or at least another spot on Dallas’ staff.

Taking things one step further, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports both Moore and Witten are considered to have a strong chance at being hired by Jones. The former quickly transitioned from his quarterback career to the sidelines, serving as the Cowboys’ QBs coach in 2018. He was promoted to offensive coordinator one year later and held that title for four seasons. With then-head coach Mike McCarthy taking on play-calling duties in 2023, Moore moved on to the Chargers for one year before winding up in his current Eagles posting.

Philadelphia’s passing efficiency has been a talking point for much of the season, but the team’s strong rushing attack played a big role in the current run to Round 2 of the playoffs. Moore, 35, also has an interview lined up with the Jaguars today and another with the Saints tomorrow for their respective HC positions.

Witten’s “realistic shot” (as Pauline terms it) to succeed McCarthy is notable given his inexperience as a coach. The 11-time Pro Bowler retired in 2018 but wound up returning to play two more seasons before hanging up his cleats for good. Since then, his four years leading Liberty Christian School in Texas (which includes a pair of state championships) represent the extent of his coaching tenure. As NFL Network’s Jane Slater notes, Witten has been in contact with Jones recently and was set to be part of Dallas’ 2025 coaching staff in the event McCarthy had remained in place (video link).

Such a setup could very well have set Witten up as a potential successor to McCarthy, but now that the team will be going in another direction it remains to be seen what will happen on that front. Slater notes Jones’ affinity for Witten, 42, could still land him a position of some kind on the team’s coaching staff. Jumping from his current situation all the way to an NFL HC position would remain surprising regardless of how Jones views his other options.

Pauline’s sources note that Sanders is not viewed as being a true contender to land the position at this point. The Hall of Famer corner is not considered ready to handle a head coaching gig in any market, they add. If Jones agrees with that assessment, Moore and Witten’s respective candidacies will increasingly become worth monitoring.

Courtesy of PFR’s head coaching search tracker, here is an updated breakdown of where things stand with the Cowboys:

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-11-25 (11:40am CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Coaching Rumors: Belichick, McDaniels, Patriots, Packers, Cowboys

January 14th, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick has come up in connection to the Raiders and Cowboys’ HC jobs. Though the ties have been loose to this point, the recently hired North Carolina coach’s staff may be causing some unrest in Chapel Hill. Belichick having only hired a few assistants — including retaining interim HC Freddie Kitchens as OC and adding son Steve as DC — despite having a $10MM staff budget has made multiple staffers nervous, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes. This report drew a rebuke from the Tar Heels’ new GM (Michael Lombardi), who indicated (via X) the team was being diligent and had hired three more staffers Sunday.

When the Cowboys separated from Mike McCarthy on Monday, Belichick came up. Reports described a situation where mutual interest would have existed, were Belichick truly available. When Belichick-Raiders tie emerged, the prospect of a quick North Carolina departure was quickly shot down. Though, Belichick’s $10MM buyout — which drops to $1MM after June 1, impacting a potential 2026 jump (albeit at age 73 by that point) — has not spooked NFL teams thus far. The coach who once famously resigned as Jets HC in early 2000 may still be caught in NFL rumors until the Cowboys fill their post, as the rookie college HC was connected as a potential 2025 option at multiple points in 2024. Jerry Jones‘ willingness to pay Belichick’s $10MM buyout has also drawn skepticism.

For now, Belichick appears to be sticking with the Tar Heels despite having immense NFL interest last year. Here is the latest on the Dallas situation and other coaching matters:

  • One of Mike Vrabel‘s rumored options for the Patriots‘ OC job came off the board today, as the Browns promoted Tommy Rees to replace Ken Dorsey. Vrabel said Tuesday (during an appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show) he would conduct an expansive search to replace OC Alex Van Pelt, and he confirmed Josh McDaniels will be a candidate. Vrabel-McDaniels rumors have circulated for weeks now, and the underwhelming HC returning to the place where he won three Super Bowl rings as a coordinator would make sense. McDaniels has not been tied to North Carolina, despite helping Belichick as he searched for his 2025 landing spot, and has not coached since the Raiders fired him hours after the 2023 trade deadline. McDaniels and Vrabel overlapped on the Patriots from 2001-08 and have maintained a good relationship. With a possible third Pats OC stint in play, McDaniels has not been connected to any other team.
  • The Packers previously lured Tom Clements out of retirement, but their quarterbacks coach is again calling it quits, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes. Having coached Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, Clements has been an NFL staffer since 1997. The 71-year-old assistant was with the Packers from 2006-16 under McCarthy, unretired to be the Cardinals’ QBs coach from 2019-20 and then rejoined the Pack in 2022 as QBs coach. Collecting a Super Bowl ring and being on staff for two of Rodgers’ four MVP awards, Clements was the Packers’ OC from 2012-14 and Bills OC from 2004-05.
  • In Deion Sanders, the Cowboys already looked toward an off-grid name to start their search to replace McCarthy; it is possible another will surface soon. Although Jason Witten has no coaching experience beyond the high school level, Florio names names him as a candidate to watch to rise all the way to the Cowboys’ HC post. Some in the organization believe the Dallas tight end great will ascend to the team’s HC job at some point, though Florio does not indicate he will definitively be a 2025 option. With Witten coaching at Liberty Christian School in Texas for four years, it would stand to reason the Cowboys would want him to gain some seasoning at the pro or college levels before he becomes a true consideration for the job.

This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys Extend Jason Witten

March 28th, 2021 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, the Cowboys inked Jason Witten to a brand new deal to take him through the 2021 season. The contract was set to cover four years, but the tight end wound up playing just one year on that pact and two more Dallas years in total — with a retirement sandwiched in between. 

[RELATED: Jason Witten Retires After 17 Seasons]

At the time, Witten was on the verge of his 35th birthday. But, after all of those seasons and crushing blows, he was still productive. The veteran was riding a 13-year streak of perfect attendance — his only missed contest came as a rookie in 2003. In 2016, Witten hauled in 69 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns — solid work, even if it wasn’t quite as impressive as his past 1,000-yard efforts.

Witten delivered again in 2017, posting 63 grabs for 560 yards and five scores en route to his tenth Pro Bowl selection. But, in May of 2018, he announced that he would “pass the torch to the next generation” and join ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth. Witten’s transition was short-lived – in February of 2019, he surprised everyone by returning to Dallas. His un-retirement was huge for Dallas. Previously, they were looking at a tight end group consisting of Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz, Rico Gathers, and Geoff Swaim.

When Witten changed his mind, the Cowboys issued him a new one-year, $4.5MM deal. It was widely assumed that this would be the final contract of Witten’s career, allowing him to retire in Dallas. Still, Witten had more left in the tank and he was willing to go elsewhere after Jason Garrett‘s departure. That led him to the Raiders, where he turned in an uncharacteristically quiet year. In his age-38 season, Witten caught just 13 passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Having been leapfrogged by Pro Bowler Darren Waller and TEs around the league, Witten announced his second retirement in January.

Jason Witten To Retire After 17 Seasons

January 27th, 2021 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two years back in the game, Jason Witten will return to retirement. The future Hall of Fame tight end informed ESPN.com’s Todd Archer he is leaving football for a second time.

Witten retired after the 2017 season but returned to the NFL in 2019, re-signing with the Cowboys. He played the 2020 season as a Raider. When Witten’s one-year Raiders contract expires in March, he intends to sign a one-day Cowboys deal to make this second NFL exit official.

“A coach once told me, ‘The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example,’” Witten said, via 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.”

While Witten was productive upon returning to the Cowboys in 2019, catching 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns, his age-38 season in Las Vegas saw a steep statistical decline. After signing for $4MM in March 2020, Witten caught just 13 passes for 69 yards with the Raiders. Although he did score two TDs — one of which a go-ahead grab late in a shootout against the Chiefs in Vegas — the Raiders had Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller do most of the heavy lifting on the receiving end.

Witten’s one-and-done Raiders run did allow him to surpass 13,000 receiving yards for his career. Witten and Tony Gonzalez are the only tight ends to do that. No other tight end has ventured past 12,000 yards. The reliable possession cog, however, resides much higher on the receptions list. Witten’s 1,228 catches rank fourth all time — behind only Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald and Gonzalez.

A Cowboys third-round pick in 2003, Witten became one of the most reliable players of his era. He produced four 1,000-yard seasons — each during Tony Romo‘s stay as Dallas’ quarterback — and 11 Pro Bowls. That is tied with Bob Lilly for the most in Cowboys history. A Cowboys cog for 16 seasons, Witten owns the team’s records for receptions, receiving yards, games played (255) and games started (245). The veteran’s one-year stay as a Monday Night Football analyst not going especially well will end up merely delaying his Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Contract Details: Lawson, Trufant, Shelton, Witten,

March 22nd, 2020 at 2:02pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Kyler Fackrell (Giants), One year, $4.6MM, $3.5MM guaranteed, base salary 2020: $2.6MM, $2MM roster bonus, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.

Antonio Hamilton (Chiefs), One year, $1.047MM, $887.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910k ($750k guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Shaq Lawson (Dolphins), Three years, $30MM, $21MM guaranteed, $4MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $6.4MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $7.9MM (fully guaranteed), 2022: $8.9MM; $2.5MM fully guaranteed roster bonus in 2020, $100k workout bonus in 2020-2021, potential $2MM in annual incentives, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

John Miller (Panthers), One year, $4MM, $2MM guaranteed, $2MM signing bonus; salary 2020: $1.79MM; $160k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Danny Shelton (Lions), Two years, $8MM, $4MM guaranteed, $2.5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $1.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $4MM, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.

Desmond Trufant (Lions), Two years, $20MM, $14MM guaranteed, $5MM signing bonus; salaries 2020: $4.5MM (fully guaranteed), 2021: $9.5MM ($4.5MM guaranteed for injury at signing); $500k in annual per-game roster bonuses, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Jihad Ward (Ravens), One year, $1.047MM, $637.5k guaranteed, $137.5k signing bonus; salary 2020: $910,000 ($500,000 guaranteed), according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Jaylen Watkins (Texans), Two years, $3MM, $300k guaranteed, $300k guaranteed; salaries 2020: $1.1MM, 2021: $1.4MM; 200k first-game roster bonus in 2020, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Jason Witten (Raiders), One year, $4MM, $3.5MM guaranteed; salary 2020: $3.5MM (fully guaranteed); $500k in per-game roster bonuses, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Raiders To Sign Jason Witten

March 17th, 2020 at 3:01pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here’s one that not many people saw coming. Tight end Jason Witten will be signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link).

It’s a one-year deal that can be worth up to $4.75MM, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Although we heard last month that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted Witten back, the tight end himself had said he was open to playing with another team. Witten also said that he preferred to finish his career in Dallas, but obviously it didn’t work out. Witten is a Cowboys icon, who spent 16 years with the team before now finally moving on at the age of 37.

Witten, of course, retired after the 2017 season for a brief and ill-fated stint as the Monday Night Football color commentator for ESPN. He’ll now be playing for a coach, Jon Gruden, who used to hold that exact role. After sitting out 2018 he returned to the Cowboys last year, and played a relatively significant role.

He appeared in all 16 games, catching 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns. Despite his advanced age Witten has been remarkably durable, appearing in all 16 games in each of his last 15 seasons. He’ll likely play a reduced role as a pass-catcher in Vegas, and will probably serve as more of a mentor for Darren Waller, the Raiders tight end who broke out last year.

Witten was one of the last remaining ties to the old era of Cowboys football, and Dallas will likely move forward with Blake Jarwin as their unquestioned starter at the position. They signaled as much by inking him to a three-year extension Monday. Witten will end his run in Dallas as the Cowboys’ all-time leader in receptions, yards, and games played. He’s also fourth on the NFL’s all-time receptions list.

Cowboys Notes: Jerry, Dez, Witten

February 27th, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Rory Parks

This is not exactly surprising given that he’ll turn 78 in October, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not planning to remain at the helm beyond the expiration of the next CBA, as Jon Machota of The Athletic tweets. Of course, the proposed CBA that will soon be voted on by the league’s workforce is another 10-year agreement, so it makes sense that Jones, who has owned the club since 1989, would be prepared to step down around the time the players and owners sit down again in another decade or so.

However, he is adamant that the proposed CBA is the right move for the league and should be ratified by the players.

Now for more from Dallas:

  • Former star wideout Dez Bryant hasn’t played since 2017, but he wants to continue his NFL career and recently expressed his desire to rejoin the Cowboys. For what it’s worth, Jones said he hasn’t ruled it out, as Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Jones even revealed a little more than we may have liked, saying he has considered the matter while in the shower.
  • Jones would also like tight end Jason Witten to return to the team, as Hill notes (Twitter link). However, it sounds like Jones has a reduced role in mind for Witten, and it remains to be seen whether Witten — who is open to signing elsewhere — will be receptive to that.
  • Likewise, Jones wants to retain pass-rusher Robert Quinn (Twitter link via Hill). The last we heard, the Cowboys had not discussed a new contract with Quinn — understandable, as the club has bigger fish to fry at the moment — but Quinn posted 11.5 sacks in a resurgent 2019 campaign, and Jones hopes there is a way he can keep him in Dallas.
  • Another member of the Cowboys’ front seven, Tyrone Crawford, is under contract through 2020, but the Cowboys could save $6.9MM by cutting him. That could be tempting, given that Crawford played in just four games in 2019 and had surgery on both of his hips. However, the 30-year-old said he could return to the field this spring, and Jones expects him to be on the roster, though he is definitely a restructure candidate (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News).
  • Cowboys DE Michael Bennett signed a new contract with the Cowboys after Dallas acquired him from the Patriots in October that allows him to hit free agency this year. As such, his comments to ESPN’s Josina Anderson indicating that he wants to play in 2020 are not surprising (Twitter link). It sounds as though Bennett, 34, wants to hook on with a contender, and there should be a market for his services.
Load More Posts