Will fiery Jason Witten truly accept playing fewer snaps? Even Jerry Jones wonders
By all accounts, tight end Jason Witten has agreed to play considerably fewer snaps in his comeback to the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 than he played in the previous 15 seasons before retiring in 2018 to do television.
Vice president Stephen Jones says so.
Coach Jason Garrett says so.
And owner Jerry Jones, who was in on the discussions, says so.
The goal is for Witten, who will turn 37 in May, to go from playing almost every snap to playing 25 or so snaps a game, while sharing the job with the emerging Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz.
Well, seeing is believing.
And for Witten, putting the plan into action might be a little more difficult, the elder Jones admits.
“It sounded…uh…it sounded…uh…it sounded team-like,” a hesitant and careful Jones said at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix. “But knowing Witten, I have got to see it. I have got to see it.”
Based on reports from the captain’s workouts, Jones does feel good about the Cowboys getting the Witten of old rather than an old Witten in 2019.
“Yes,” Jones said. “As far as how he looks and his intensity, the report and description of his workouts right now it sounds like he is more intense than he was two years ago.”
That is even more of a reason why it will be hard for anyone to see Witten voluntarily coming off the field.
Fewer snaps?
Time will tell.
This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 8:13 PM.
