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Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten has decided to step away from the NFL after 15 seasons, all spent with the franchise. During that span, he ingrained himself as a core piece of Dallas' puzzle, experiencing great success over his career.
During his retirement press conference on Thursday afternoon, Witten expressed his disappointment with not helping the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones win a Super Bowl, according to Drew Davidson of Star-Telegram.
Jason Witten to Jerry Jones: “The hardest part of this decision is not being able to hand you that Lombardi Trophy.”
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) May 3, 2018
Winning a Super Bowl is a lofty aspiration, and many great players before him have failed to do so, but given that he played for one of the most historic franchises in the NFL, it was likely more difficult for him to come to terms with that reality.
He only appeared in the playoffs six times in his career and never advanced past the divisional round. His last pair of trips to the playoffs turned out to be close losses to the Green Bay Packers, halting what could have been deep runs to the Super Bowl in each instance.
This is a big absence in Witten's career, but he has accomplished everything else aside from that, which makes him a sure-fire Pro Football Hall of Famer. He finished his career currently second all-time in career catches and receiving yards by tight ends, only trailing Tony Gonzalez. He is also 21st all-time in receiving yards (12,448) and fourth in receptions (1,152). Witten is also second on the Cowboys in receptions, third in total receiving yards, and second in touchdown catches.
