Around this time next year, we will probably be praising Dallas Cowboys legendary TE Jason Witten for making it to the Hall of Fame on his first opportunity.
Witten definitely has a first ballot Hall of Fame resume’ to his name. He was never a flashy player, but he made plays when they counted, and was a consummate leader on the field and in the locker room.
The former Tennessee Volunteer was drafted by the Cowboys in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and was an immediate fan favorite as a rookie.
Witten came into the league under one of the strictest disciplinarians the NFL has had roam the sidelines.
Bill Parcells made rookie Witten’s life miserable in training camp, but molded him into one of the best players in the NFL by his second season.
Witten is a revered member of the Dallas Cowboys alumni, admired by executives, coaches, players, fans, the custodians at The Star, and just about everyone with anything to do with the Dallas Cowboys organization.
He retired in 2020 (for the second time) as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, but will only be remembered as a Dallas Cowboy.
Now, he is in coaching, and has a very lofty career goal: to one day be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Off To a Good Start
Witten was asked if Jerry Jones ever reached out to him during the Dallas Cowboys head coaching search, eventually choosing OC Brian Schottenheimer as Mike McCarthy’s successor.
There were rumors flying that Witten was a real possibility for the job, but his response should stifle those whispers.
I did not talk to Jerry (Jones) about it. I think they went through a thorough process for them and got to a place where they felt like Brian (Schottenheimer) was the guy. But, yeah, of course, that’s a long-term goal of mine to one day get back there, when the right opportunity comes.
Witten is off to a good start as far as coaching careers go. Just days after his retirement in 2021, he agreed to be the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas.
In two short years, Liberty Christian won the Texas high school football state championship with the only undefeated season in school history. Witten just polished his second consecutive trophy at the end of the 2024 season.
Pump the brakes a little on the Witten to Dallas speculation. It won’t be happening any time soon. Not as head coach anyway.
I don’t care how comfortable the Jones’ are with Witten. There would be a PR nightmare if they plucked him from the high school ranks directly to head coach of the most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Witten’s high football IQ as a player is a ticket for him to join the NFL as an assistant without taking his licks as a college coach. I don’t think anyone would be opposed to that.
2 Of a Kind
The Dallas Cowboys just hired their 10th head coach in franchise history. He has a four-year contract and I figure, by the time his contract is up, Witten will be a hot commodity in the head coach cycle.
He has the chance to go from playing for the Dallas Cowboys to standing on the sideline as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. An incredible feat, but he wouldn’t be the first to do it.
There has already been a former Cowboys player turned head coach, and you know him by the name Jason Garrett.
Believe it or not, there are some fans out there who forgot about Garrett because he was a career backup to Troy Aikman while in Dallas, but yes, he was the first to be named head coach after having played for the team.
Witten could be the second, and if his cards fall right, he could roam the sidelines as an assistant sooner rather than later.