It's been quite the two-year journey for Jason Witten.
The future hall of fame tight end had hung it up after the 2017 season, seeing the writing on the wall for his career and no immediate winning with the Dallas Cowboys in sight. He went into broadcasting, being gifted the Monday Night Football job and a chance at the biggest stage in football through the booth.
Of course, things didn't go as planned up there, leading Witten to consider coming back to football earlier this year. And once he saw what the Cowboys were building for 2019, he believed this could be his final chance at achieving Super Bowl glory.
Things haven't gone as planned on the field either.
Witten has mostly looked like a shell of his former self this season, as should be expected for someone his age (37) and coming off a full season of retirement. While he has scored 4 touchdowns and caught 59 balls, Witten has offered next to nothing after the catch as a playmaker, and has become a liability as a run blocker.
It's time for Jason Witten to move on from football, plain and simple. He's a legend around the Dallas area, but father time is undefeated and he's claimed this victory as well.
But what does the former 1,000 yard tight end think? Witten was much more cryptic with his future plans when speaking to the media this week. Witten told ESPN's Todd Archer that he's aware it's a “possibility” Sunday will be his final NFL game, but that he “doesn't envision” it being so.
Witten also said that he'll decide on his future “pretty quick” once the season comes to a close. Whether that ending happens on Sunday due to an Eagles win, or in the following weeks during the postseason. In what had to be the most obvious follow-up question of all time, Witten then was asked if he ever asks about coaching. In particular – coaching the Dallas Cowboys.
Jason Witten is asked if coaching is in his immediate future:
“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “When I'm done playing, that's something I'd like to do, for sure.”
What level?
“Right here (NFL),” Witten said.
— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) December 26, 2019
Jason talked about what an excellent job he considers the head coach of America's Team to be, and showed real interest in coaching in the NFL once his playing career is officially over.
So this is happening, huh?
Either way, Jason Witten is nearing his final days as the Dallas Cowboys tight end. Or at least he should be. Dallas has a hole to fill at the position this offseason, and Witten's presence has clearly made it difficult for those moves to be made.
Salute to a Cowboys legend, but this feels like an open-and-shut case at this point.
