Longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will depart from the “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth to return to the field with Dallas next season, the team announced Thursday.
Witten, 36, had retired from the NFL last May after spending 15 years as a member of the Cowboys. He immediately joined ESPN’s broadcast team for “Monday Night Football” on a contract that reportedly paid him millions annually.
However, there were mixed reviews over Witten’s work as an analyst, which came in stark contrast to the high praise bestowed upon his former teammate and current CBS broadcaster Tony Romo. Now he’s stepping back from his broadcasting career to return to the one that made him a star.
“The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,” Witten said 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, an 11-time Pro Bowler, had been one of the NFL’s elite receiving tight ends in his prime. He’s recorded six seasons with at least 80 catches and seven seasons with at least 900 receiving yards. The last time he took the field for Dallas in 2017, he put up 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns.
Durability was also a hallmark of Witten’s NFL career. He played all 16 games in every season from 2004-17, and has missed just one of 239 games in his career.
