For the Dallas Cowboys, and his own health, Jason Witten needs to be done
Jason Witten’s voice cracked throughout, and while he said he has not made a decision this is a man who has reached the end for a second time.
There will be no return.
Witten did not embarrass himself this season, but for both the sake of his own health and the progress of players such as Blake Jarwin, this needs to be over.
The veteran tight end for the Dallas Cowboys came back from retirement to win a Super Bowl, but Witten’s second exit will be just like his first, without a trip to the playoffs much less a title.
“I apologize to the Dallas Cowboys fans out there,” he said Sunday. “I came back to try to help this team try and compete for a championship, and we won’t have that opportunity. And that hurts. It’s hard.”
Witten is the highest profile member of the roster whose future with the franchise looks to be over after the Cowboys’ season-ending win over the Washington Redskins over Sunday.
For the team, Witten’s return evolved the way it should have always been expected: An older player hanging on, at the end. He was not a problem, he held his own as a blocker, and he was OK as a receiver.
“One of the best decisions I’ve made was listening to my gut to come back and play,” Witten said, “and, sure, that decision can be picked apart a million different ways. I’m really proud of the way I played.”
A. He’s right. His decision to return has been picked apart a million different ways. Mostly because Blake Jarwin showed considerable upside in a reserve role.
Physically Jarwin can do things that Witten simply no longer can. And Jarwin should have played more, which is on the coaching staff.
B. Witten should be proud of the way he played.
He blocked well for a team that was one of the better rushing offenses in the NFL. He played all 16 games, caught 63 passes and scored four touchdowns.
This is a 37-year-old man playing a game against men 10 to 15 years his junior. Experience is an invaluable asset, until the time it’s a problem because the other guy is a kid whose body doesn’t hurt all the time.
“There wasn’t any moment this season I felt I couldn’t win and do my job to the level I’ve always done it,” Witten said. “I’m not naive enough to think that at 37 I’m the same player I was at 25. But I worked really hard. ... I felt like there wasn’t a game that I showed up that I couldn’t make plays to help this team.
“I had mistakes, too. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t perfect in 2007. That’s what makes this hard. If this is the end, I’m proud of the way I played today. I can hold up my head up high.”
He should.
He wasn’t the same player, and it’s not going to be improved if he even wants to return. He’s only going to slow down, and this is all going to be harder.
He should leave now while everything still works. Witten is one of those players that you fear has already accumulated damage from a long playing career, blissfully unaware of the problems that are coming as a result of a life of football.
After his run with ESPN as an in-booth analyst didn’t work, he had to come back. The only reason he retired the first time was because ESPN offered him nice money and a prime gig.
Now that he’s come back and played he can say he did everything possible. He played the game out of his system.
But there comes a time when the game tells every player, “This isn’t for you any more” and Witten has arrived at that destination.
Listening to him talk on Sunday, he both knows it and accepts it. It’s hard, but it’s OK.
His return did not work out the way he wanted, but he can always say he did everything possible to make it all work.
“Maybe it was a little bit of a different role,” he said, “but I damn sure enjoyed it.”
Good for Jason Witten. Now enjoy retirement.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 6:40 AM.
