{"id":59596,"date":"2019-02-28T18:55:02","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T23:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=59596"},"modified":"2021-12-28T21:45:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T02:45:26","slug":"mnf-announcer-jason-witten-ends-retirement-returns-to-dallas-cowboys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/02\/28\/mnf-announcer-jason-witten-ends-retirement-returns-to-dallas-cowboys\/","title":{"rendered":"MNF Announcer Jason Witten Ends Retirement, Returns to Dallas Cowboys"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is not a drill &#8211; lifelong <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/cowboys\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dallas Cowboys<\/a> tight end <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WittJa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Witten<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, after a year in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monday Night Football<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> booth, followed in the footsteps of his predecessor <\/span><b>Jon Gruden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and left his broadcasting career to return to football.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cowboys are giving their former and new tight end Jason Witten a one-year, $3.5 million contract, per sources.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdamSchefter\/status\/1101186876629704704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Jason Witten to End Retirement, Return to Dallas Cowboys in 2019<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Witten played 15 years &#8211; his entire NFL career up to this point &#8211; in Dallas, playing 229 games consecutively out of his 239 and was selected to 11 Pro Bowls before his first retirement. Now, he will be returning to the franchise, which is coming off a 10-6 season where they lost to the eventual NFC champion <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/rams\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles Rams<\/a> in the NFL Divisional Round<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The news was first announced by the Cowboys and confirmed by ex-co-worker\/ESPN insider <\/span><b>Adam Schefter<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who didn\u2019t have to look far outside of his employer to get this story. Apparently, the story did not take many around Witten or at ESPN by surprise, as both Schefter and fellow reporter <\/span><b>Chris Mortensen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> both reported that Witten seriously considered ending his retirement at least once in the middle of last season. He returns directly to the Cowboys on a reported 1-year, $3.5 million deal, according to Schefter, and up to $5 million can be earned in incentives, according to NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Witten\u2019s retirement in May 2018 was a little unexpected, but with the credentials under his belt as a player, there seemed to be little left for \u201cMr. Cowboy\u201d to accomplish, except obtaining a Super Bowl championship. That seems to be the sole reason why he is returning for another year. \u201cThe fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,\u201d Witten\u2019s statement reads. \u201cThis team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dallas\u2019 all-time leading receiver and the 2012 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PaytWa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Walter Payton<\/a> Man of the Year, Witten was offered the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monday Night Football<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> job after Gruden\u2019s nine-year tenure at the network ended in January of last year so he could return to coaching the <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/raiders\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oakland Raiders<\/a>. This time around, ESPN hoped they had got a rising star personality within the NFL realm to join veteran announcer <\/span><b>Joe Tessitore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and fellow newcomer and ex-player <\/span><b>Booger McFarland<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a long time to come, like CBS did with former Cowboys quarterback\u00a0<\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RomoTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tony Romo<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who completed his first Super Bowl broadcast earlier this month. ESPN seemed satisfied with their work despite criticism of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018MNF\u2019<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> production throughout their first season together, with some critics and fan centering their detractions on Witten. Now, for the third time in three years, ESPN will be tasked with hiring another replacement personality to work their broadcasts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;We thank Jason for his many contributions to Monday Night Football and to ESPN over the past year and wish him continued success,&#8221; ESPN said in a statement. &#8220;We have seen many former coaches and players go into broadcasting before eventually returning to the game they love, so we understand Jason&#8217;s desire to return to the Dallas Cowboys.\u201d In the following weeks, ESPN will \u2018determine their plans\u2019 for the upcoming broadcast season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Cowboys, regaining a key member of their recent history and additional help for their offense couldn\u2019t come at a better time. Although Witten\u2019s role and amount of snaps haven\u2019t been announced, reports are speculating that he will play a minor role, as he is approaching age 37. Owner <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=JoneJe23,JoneJe22&amp;search=Jerry+Jones&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerry Jones<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had allegedly tried repeated efforts to lure Witten back to football, even though Jones denied it before. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Witten returning to play might be in part to help out <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GarrJa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Garrett<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, his head coach and personal friend, Witten\u2019s future desire to become a coach himself may cause conflict between them and the rest of the new Cowboys offensive staff, like new offensive coordinator <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MoorKe02.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kellen Moore<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and quarterbacks coach <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KitnJo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jon Kitna<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, both former Cowboys quarterbacks who are new to their positions. Garrett was expected to receive an extension on his contract, but Jones rescinded that offer following Dallas\u2019 short-lived playoff season, adding to speculation and hopes that Garrett\u2019s tenure may come to an end soon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"vxkn4x0pQk5ezixbS_Jwbg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/897277064\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'vxkn4x0pQk5ezixbS_Jwbg',sig:'7H5M6V4JofIeE4Acwse0YMyXNMbNcRX-DLqn9tTndvs=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'897277064',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is not a drill &#8211; lifelong Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, after a year in the Monday Night Football booth, followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Jon Gruden and left his broadcasting career to return to football. Cowboys are giving their former and new tight end Jason Witten a one-year, $3.5 million [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2908,"featured_media":59604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,36],"tags":[4547,7328,667,889,1105,48,132],"class_list":["post-59596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cowboys","category-nfl-news","tag-2019-nfl-season","tag-dallas-cowboys-roster","tag-jason-witten","tag-jerry-jones","tag-jon-gruden","tag-nfc-east","tag-tony-romo"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2908"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}