Jason Witten - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Rumors: Austin, Witten, S, Draft

April 28th, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams and Cowboys agreed on a deal that will send Tavon Austin to Dallas in exchange for a sixth-round pick, and the sides began discussing this trade on Thursday, Stephen Jones said (via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). Jones said the Rams had a third-day pick in mind as compensation for their former top-10 investment, one who renegotiated his pricey contract earlier this year in order to stay with the team that drafted him. Austin will become the Cowboys’ primary punt returner, Jerry Jones said (via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, on Twitter), and will take over those duties from Ryan Switzer — whom Dallas traded to Oakland shortly after the Austin deal was agreed upon. Austin, 27, was a part-time kick and punt returner for the Rams last season. He will also function as primarily a running back with the Cowboys, who envision him taking over Lance Dunbar‘s old role as the team’s primary receiving back. Jason Garrett said (via Machota, on Twitter) the goal will be to get the ball to Austin in a variety of ways, so it sounds like Dallas intends to keep the 5-foot-9 performer in a gadget role.

Here’s the latest from Dallas:

While Jerry Jones said Jason Witten would take a few days before announcing a decision about his 2018 status, the owner now is backing off that stance. It may take longer. “As I saw Troy [Aikman] say, that’s his decision, and he’s got the time to make it,” Jones said, via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “He deserves the time to make that. I don’t have a timeline on it. I do know that when we left [Friday], he certainly thought he wanted the weekend to come to some conclusion. … I want to emphasize again how we like our tight ends that we’ve got on the roster that would be on the roster if we don’t have Witten, but certainly Dalton [Schultz] was noted as what we thought was the best blocker of the tight ends.” The Eagles traded one spot in front of their rivals in Round 2 to select Dallas Goedert. Witten may well inform the Cowboys of his decision early next week, but Dallas brass doesn’t appear to be rushing him. The Cowboys selected Stanford’s Schultz in the fourth round.
The team wants to bring in competition for Xavier Woods at free safety, Machota tweets. The Cowboys did not draft a safety this weekend but will remain on the lookout for one. This is a unique year to need a safety, with several experienced ones still available. Eric Reid, Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccaro are without teams. However, Machota notes (on Twitter) Jerry Jones declined to comment when asked if Reid would be a possibility for the Cowboys. The former Pro Bowler is in a strange position, being part of the Colin Kaepernick-led protest movement but profiling as a player who is an upper-echelon starter at a lower-profile position. Jones has been a vocal opponent of these protests, probably the leader among the owners against them, so it would be a surprise if Reid ended up in Dallas.
The Cowboys were able to draft defensive end Dorance Armstrong in the fourth round, but Jerry Jones said (via Machota, on Twitter) they nearly traded two fourth-round picks to acquire a third-rounder to draft the Kansas pass rusher.

Jerry Jones: Jason Witten Might Not Retire

April 27th, 2018 at 2:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Jerry Jones said Friday he’s met several times with Jason Witten and that no decision has been made. The Cowboys owner said the future Hall of Fame tight end will take a few days before he makes an official decision, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Although, Rapoport adds Witten has made his decision to step away after 15 seasons.

ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that Witten plans to move into broadcasting, joining the revamped Monday Night Football crew for the 2018 season. If Witten follows through on his retirement plans, it stands to reason that the Cowboys will select a tight end in Round 2 or 3 of the draft on Friday night. However, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones‘ comments indicate that might not happen.

“We feel really good about our tight ends,” Jones said on 105.3 (on Twitter). “With what we have on our roster with [Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and Rico Gathers], we got some really good football players. We don’t think we’re going into a season without a good tight end.”

The Ravens selected Hayden Hurst in the first round, but top tight ends Dallas Goedert, Mike Gesicki, and Mark Andrews remain available should the Cowboys look to fortify the position. Having just released Dez Bryant, the Cowboys are in need of wide receiver help as well. Both Witten and Bryant being out of the picture will signal a major changing of the guard in Dallas, creating key needs in the process.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten To Retire?

April 27th, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

Jason Witten could go from the field to the broadcast booth. The Cowboys tight end is planning to retire after 15 years in the NFL to join ESPN’s new Monday Night Football broadcast team as a lead analyst, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. However, he’ll meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday before finalizing his decision.

Witten has spent his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and has been selected to eleven Pro Bowls. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,152), receiving yards (12,448) and most consecutive games played (239).

Witten, 36 in May, has missed one regular season game for Dallas as a rookie, but has a perfect attendance record dating back to 2004. His 2017 numbers were not his gaudiest, but he was still productive with 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He was also among the ten best run blockers at the tight end position, per Pro Football Focus.

News of Witten’s potential retirement comes as a surprise. Just last week, Witten indicated that he had some football left in the tank.

“There’s been a lot of things [said] over the years, especially the last few months. I guess that’s what happens when you get old,” Witten said (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “Hopefully I can play until I’m 40. I’ll take it one day at a time. My plan is to be here with the Cowboys. Absolutely.”

ESPN nearly poached another big name tight end for its broadcast booth earlier this year. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen auditioned for the job and appeared to be giving it real consideration before signing a lucrative extension with Carolina on Thursday.

Cowboys Restructure Contract For Jason Witten

March 24th, 2018 at 1:14pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Cowboys have restructured the contract for veteran tight end Jason Witten, opening up around $3.5MM in available cap space, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Witten is signed through the 2021 season.

Witten, 35, becomes the second Cowboy to restructure his deal of late, with center Travis Frederick doing so last week. Between the restructuring of both deals, the Cowboys have opened up $10.5MM in available cap space.

The Cowboys were certainly in need of more available cap space, especially with the addition of wide receivers Allen Hurns (two years, $12MM) and Deonte Thompson (one year, $2.5MM). Entering Saturday, the Cowboys had $8.04MM in available cap room, which placed them at No. 26 in the NFL, per Spotrac.

Witten has spent his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,152), receiving yards (12,448) and most consecutive games played (239). He signed a four-year contract extension last offseason, worth $29.6MM.

FOX Eyeing Jason Witten As TNF Analyst

March 11th, 2018 at 6:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this year, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said he intends to play in 2018. If a major television network has its way, the long-time Cowboys star will hang up his cleats. Michael McCarthy of Sporting News reports that Fox is targeting Witten to be their new Thursday Night Football analyst.

FOX (along with ESPN) previously pursued Peyton Manning for a television gig, but it sounds like the network is changing their focus to Witten. The 35-year-old wouldn’t be the only “former” Cowboys star on the mic this season, as Witten would join both Tony Romo and Troy Aikman on television. Executives at Fox are apparently “intrigued by the possibility” of adding Witten to their team.

Of course, it might be tough for the network to convince Witten to walk away from the NFL. The 2003 third-round pick had another standout campaign in 2017, earning his 11th Pro Bowl nod. The 15-year veteran finished the season with 63 receptions for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He’s the Cowboys franchise leader in receptions and receiving yards.

Jason Witten To Return In 2018

January 1st, 2018 at 11:45am CST by Micah Powell

Following the Cowboys’ 6-0 win over the Eagles on Sunday, tight end Jason Witten announced he would return for his 16th season in 2018, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports.

Witten was expected to return but left open the possibility of retiring in recent weeks. “I’m coming back. I love playing this game too much and I know that I can play it at a high level,” he said. After the University of Tennessee fired its head coach in 2017, Witten’s name appeared in coaching rumors but the tight end quickly shot down the reports.

Archer notes that Witten will become the longest-tenured member of the Cowboys in franchise history, surpassing Mark Tuinei, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Bill Bates who each played 15 seasons.

Witten is signed through the 2021 season after signing a four-year extension in March. However, he has contemplated retirement each of the last two seasons. He finished the season with 63 receptions for his 14th consecutive 60-catch season.

Behind Witten on the depth chart, the Cowboys do have a promising talent in Rico Gathers, who played basketball at Baylor before being selected by Dallas in the 2016 NFL Draft. Gathers was placed on the practice squad in 2016, and enjoyed a breakout preseason in 2017 but was placed on injured reserve with a concussion.

Cowboys’ Jason Witten Discusses Future

December 25th, 2017 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys won’t be going to the playoffs this year, but Jason Witten hopes to help Dallas find redemption in 2018. The tight end says he intends on returning for a 16th NFL season, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes.

“I see too much positive,” Witten said. “I really do. I feel too good to think that would end, so my intentions are to keep playing.”

Witten had five catches for 39 yards in Sunday’s 21-12 loss to Seattle, giving him a total of 61 grabs for 543 yards and five touchdowns so far this year. This wasn’t Witten’s greatest season, but he was still extremely productive and durable.

In his decade-and-a-half with the Cowboys, Witten has yet to play in a conference championship game. Although he is hugely disappointed, Witten said that he has much to look forward to this weekend.

“It’s hard,” said Witten. “You put everything you got into it, for a long time, man. It’s a game. It is. But you go let them see Santa Claus tomorrow. I got a great family. I got a great support system. The next half hour just take a few deep breaths, try to process it and enjoy the moment, devour the strawberries, so to speak. I wish I could tell you that it would be easy. Having a good wife helps. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve lived the dream here for the last 15 years with this organization. Great ownership, great coaches, great opportunity. Disappointed that we couldn’t get it done this year.”

Cowboys Extend Jason Witten

March 28th, 2017 at 12:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have signed tight end Jason Witten to an extension that will keep him in Dallas through the 2021 campaign, the club announced. The four-year deal has a maximum value of $29.6MM, but doesn’t contain any additional guaranteed cash, tweets Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Set to earn a base salary of $7.4MM, Witten will count for $12.262MM on Dallas’ salary cap in 2017. That figure will not change, according to Archer (Twitter link), who indicates Witten’s cap charge will remain stagnant during the upcoming season. However, the Cowboys can still restructure Witten’s contract at any time to gain cap room.

Heading into today, Dallas was in the worst cap situation in the league, as the club had less than $2MM in 2017 cap space. While the Cowboys will pick up more room when Tony Romo is inevitably removed from the roster, the Witten extension could have handed Dallas more financial space. Surprisingly, Dallas opted not to give Witten a signing bonus that would have prorated over the next five seasons and lowered his 2017 cap figure.

From an on-field perspective, Witten’s extension allows the Cowboys to retain a still-productive tight end for the foreseeable future. 2016 marked Witten’s 14th season in Dallas, and the 10-time Pro Bowler posted 69 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns. He also remained remarkably durable, as he appeared in all 16 games for the 13th consecutive year (Witten’s only missed contest in his career came during his rookie campaign).

Witten will turn 35 years old this summer, so he’s now signed through his age-40 season.

Todd Archer of ESPN.com first reported the extension. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jason Witten Plans To Return Next Season

January 16th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Sam Robinson

One year remains on Jason Witten‘s contract, and the Cowboys tight end as of now plans on playing it out. The 34-year-old stalwart said he wants to return for the 2017 season.

“I’m in my 14th year, and you know there’s a shelf life for everybody,” Witten said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “You put everything you have into it, and when you come up short it’s tough. It’s not about a paycheck. … I’ll take time to reflect on it. I love this team and this group of guys and so, yeah, that will be the plan for sure.”

The career-long Cowboy finished his 14th season with 69 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns, and while he’s fallen off the Pro Bowl and All-Pro pace of his earlier years, Witten finished sixth among tight ends in catches this season despite operating in a run-oriented offense. He added his first playoff touchdown in Sunday’s loss. Witten ranks seventh all-time with 1,089 career receptions — second among tight ends in NFL history.

He stands to make $7.4MM in base salary next season in the final campaign of a five-year, $37MM deal. But the tight end’s cap number spikes from $5.862MM this season to $12.262MM in what would be his 15th season. The future Hall of Famer restructured his deal to help the Cowboys’ cap situation.

Cowboys Restructure Jason Witten’s Contract

September 8th, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have restructured Jason Witten‘s yet again in order to give themselves additional cap space. The Cowboys converted $5.5MM of Witten’s $6.5MM base salary into a signing bonus, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Thanks to the reworked deal, the Cowboys will save $2.75MM in cap room.

Witten, 34, is the third player to have his contract restructured after Orlando Scandrick and Sean Lee both agreed to move some money around. The Cowboys also restructured the deals of left tackle Tyron Smith and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford earlier this offseason. Witten is signed through 2017 and is set to make $7.4MM next season with a cap figure of $12.262MM.

Witten has not missed a regular season game for the Cowboys since 2003, his rookie year. Last season, in yet another 16-game showing, Witten hauled in 77 passes for 713 yards and three touchdowns. Since becoming a full-time starter in Dallas, Witten has averaged 82 catches and 906 yards with five touchdowns per season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.