Jason Witten didn't practice with the Cowboys on Wednesday, but its because he was forced to take the day off.
Coach Jason Garrett said he and his staff have a plan for easing the 37-year old Witten back onto the field after spending a year away from the game in the Monday Night Football booth.
“He wants to be out there,” Garrett said. “Everybody wants to be out there. But we’re the coaches, he’s the player. We ultimately decide what the plan is. We talk to a player like that. Obviously we want to give him good reasons for why we want to take a certain approach. We did this with him the last couple years of his career during training camp and I think he understands we just want him to be fresher and more productive when he is out there.”
In his final season with the Cowboys, the two-time All-Pro caught 63 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns. The only tight end who came close to replicating those numbers in Witten's off-year was Blake Jarwin, who hauled in 27 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games.
Entering his 16th season, Witten has approached every facet with the enthusiasm of a player entering his sixth season.
How that translates on the field is another story. If Witten records 10-plus catches in 2019, he will become the seventh tight end age 37 or older since 1950 to do so, according to Pro Football Reference. The most meritorious season a 37-year-old or older tight end had was in 2013 when Tony Gonzalez, age 37, caught 83 passes for 859 and eight touchdowns.
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