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On Thursday afternoon, news came down the wire stating that Jason Witten will be returning to the Dallas Cowboys after a stint with ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team. After hearing Witten's announcement, fellow Dallas icon and Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki sent out a brief message on Twitter to welcome him back:
Welcome baaaaack @JasonWitten
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 28, 2019
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Witten is expected to sign a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. By returning, he'll have the longest service time with the Cowboys (16 years):
After debating it during the regular season, Jason Witten has ended his NFL retirement to return to the Dallas Cowboys.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2019
“The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,” Witten told ESPN in a statement. “This team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship. This was completely my decision, and I am very comfortable with it. I'm looking forward to getting back in the dirt.”
Witten had mixed emotions about broadcasting. He knows the game of football extremely well, which is why ESPN wanted him as an analyst. However, he also missed playing a lot:
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“Look, every day I was a part of the Cowboys, and even before that, I loved the game of football. I loved the process of it,” Witten said. “I loved March. I loved training camp. I loved getting better and adversity and going through it with [the] guys, that shared commitment part of it. Nothing can replace that feeling and I knew that.”
Exactly what sort of role Witten will play with the Cowboys remains to be seen. Perhaps he can serve as a mentor to some of the team's younger players, as Schefter suggests:
There are those in the Cowboys’ organization who have long considered Jason Witten an NFL head-coaching candidate. Returning to football now helps serve as the bridge to Witten’s coaching career.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2019
Witten, now 36 years of age, caught 63 passes in 2017, racking up 560 yards and five touchdowns. As a result, he was added to the Pro Bowl as a first alternate.
