Well, talk about a turn of events. After former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett took a job in the NFC East as the newest New York Giants offensive coordinator, a report has emerged on him possibly stealing none other than future Hall of Famer Jason Witten.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said on TV that Witten wants to continue playing in the NFL and that he could end up looking for his old coach in New York.
I’m sure no Cowboys fan would like to see that. Not because they see him as a threat, but because a franchise player like him going to a fierce division rival isn’t much fun. The emotional reaction from fans could be similar to when Emmitt Smith joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2003. Only this time it’d be the Giants stealing away a Cowboys’ legend.
Discussing the possibility of a second retirement for Jason Witten, I wrote about a new coaching staff being an important factor. Does he want to go through that process at this stage in his career? Probably not. Reuniting with Garrett could he a powerful incentive.
It’s difficult to imagine this coming into fruition, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in NFL history. It’s important to point out the different options Witten has right now. He can pursue another season playing or he can begin his long-awaited coaching career.
The Cowboys hired Lunda Wells as tight end coach for McCarthy’s staff, but Witten is reportedly in the mix for a lower-level coaching position, possibly as an assistant tight end coach.
The Giants have young, talented tight end on their roster in Evan Engram.
Whether it’s as a player or as a coach, it’d be extremely odd to see Witten wearing a different tone of blue in Giants’ gear. If I had to bet, I wouldn’t take Witten ending up with the Giants. Call it wishful thinking, but I don’t see it happening.
