The Dallas Cowboys lost much more than just one of the greatest ever tight ends when Jason Witten decided to retire this offseason. They also lost their veteran leader, the one who set a great example for others and brought together both sides of the ball.
With Witten’s departure, linebacker Sean Lee acknowledges that it’ll be up to him to assume that massive vacancy within the team.
“There is no question that I need to step up because he's gone,” Lee said per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I think it's a responsibility for me, similar to how it was for Jason Witten,” Lee said. “Jason kind of set the tone for us. Not only did he set the pace leadership-wise, but he also knew that you had to pass the leadership down and you had to be gracious and try to help guys. That's something I am really trying to do also.
“If you want to have a great team, the leaders got to bring guys in. You can lead by example, but you've also got to get the young guys working the right way too.”
Of course, Lee is no stranger to the leadership role. He’s a team captain and the undisputed leader of the Dallas defense. However, it will still be a significant challenge for him to take that next step in terms of leadership.
Lee will also have to do something which Witten was renowned for, which is to actually stay on the field. While it’s hard to expect Lee to replicate Witten’s uncanny ability to play every single game, he’ll need to cut down his absences, which have totaled 24 games over the last four seasons.
Lee won’t have to carry the burden of leadership all on his shoulders. The likes of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have both voiced their desire to take on a bigger leadership role this season. But still, the expectation will be for Lee to take the reins as the main focal point on the team.
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