Jason Witten is a former professional football player who played as a tight end in the National Football League for 17 years, mainly for the Dallas Cowboys. He holds the record for most career NFL games by a tight end with 271. On top of that, he is also a multi-time All-Pro selection and Pro Bowler. He's been a lead analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts, too.
In this article, we will be talking about Jason Witten's journey through the NFL and his net worth in 2022.
Jason Witten’s net worth in 2022 (estimate): $12 million
Witten’s net worth in 2022 is estimated at $12 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Let us now dive into his early life and career before he became one of the best tight ends in NFL history.
Christopher Jason Witten was born on May 6th, 1982, in Washington, D.C. Despite being raised in D.C., he moved to Elizabethton, Tennessee, where his grandparents lived and he attended Elizabethton High School.
During his high school football career, Witten played linebacker and tight end, helping his team reach the state semifinals on three occasions. In his senior year, he finished the season with 163 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks, staking his claim as one of the best defensive players in Tennessee high school football.
He also received several accolades such as All-American, All-State, USA Today Player of the Year for Tennessee, East Tennessee Player of the Year, Region Defensive Player of the Year, and finished as a runner-up for the Mr. Football Award.
Witten accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee in 2000, originally promised by Volunteers coach Phil Fulmer that he'd play defensive end. Injuries at the tight end position impacted Tennessee's depth, though, and he was eventually moved to the offensive side of the ball midway through his freshman season.
After an up-and-down first two seasons in Knoxville, Witten had a breakout season in his junior year, setting numerous school records. He finished the season with 39 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns.
Despite playing just three seasons with the Vols, Witten finished his college career ranked third all-time among Tennessee tight ends with 68 receptions and fourth all-time with 797 receiving yards.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Witten with the 69th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, at the beginning of the third round. He then signed a rookie-scale contract worth $2.04 million over four years.
Witten suffered a broken jaw during his rookie season after taking a heavy hit during Dallas' game against the Arizona Cardinals, an injury that required surgery. Incredibly, Witten missed only one game after going under the knife, finishing his rookie campaign with 35 catches for 347 yards and a score, earning All-Rookie honors.
He enjoyed a breakout season the following year, leading all NFC tight ends with 87 catches, in addition to 980 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Witten was named to his first Pro Bowl as a result, and signed a six-year, $27.6 million contract with Dallas after the 2006 season.
He had a career year during the 2007 season, finishing with 96 catches and becoming the first tight end in Cowboys history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. He also tied an NFL record by Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. for most receptions in a game by a tight end with 15.
At the end of the 2010 season, Witten was named tight end of the Year by the NFL Alumni Association and was ranked No. 36 by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.
He signed a five-year, $37 million contract extension with a $12.5 million signing bonus before the 2011 season, noting his plans to retire with the Cowboys. Witten then signed another contract extension on March 28th, 2017, worth $29.6 million over four years.
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However, on April 26th, 2018, reports emerged that he would be retiring from professional football and accepting a job as the lead analyst for Monday Night Football. The following week, Witten officially announced his retirement and confirmed that he would be joining the broadcasting booth for the 2018 season.
“There's an old saying in pro football: The circus doesn't stay in town forever,” Witten said. “After much self-reflection, prayer and faith, today I've decided that the time has come for me to pass the torch to the next generation of Dallas Cowboys and retire from the National Football League.”
After his first year as a broadcaster, ESPN announced that Witten would make his return to the field after re-joining Dallas on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. He played and started in all 16 games that season.
On March 25th, 2020, he signed a one-year contract to join the Las Vegas Raiders. He started seven games and played in 16.
On January 27th, 2021, Witten announced his retirement from the NFL once again. This time, he signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
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Some of Witten's most impressive NFL accolades are below.
- 2013 Bart Starr Award
- 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
- 2x First Team All-Pro
- 2x Second Team All-Pro
- 11x Pro Bowl
- fourth in receptions in NFL history (1,228)
Witten played a total of 271 games during his 17-year career, finishing with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns.
According to Spotrac, Witten earned a total of $81,879,722 in NFL salary.
In August 2021, Witten was named head coach of Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX) School’s football team. He passed on multiple offers from major colleges and NFL teams for the chance to coach at the school that his children attend.
Were you surprised by Jason Witten’s net worth in 2022?
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