Adam Schefter reports that the Cowboys had to release TE Jason Witten from the reserve/retired list on Monday as a procedural move for them to re-sign him to a new contract.
Witten announced last week that he’s ending his retirement and plans to rejoin the Cowboys for the 2019 season.
“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.”
The Cowboys will reportedly sign Witten to a one-year contract worth a base value of $3.5 million that be worth up to roughly $5 million for the 2019 season.
Reports from last year mentioned that Witten had been in contact with the Cowboys about possibly rejoining the team. However, the Cowboys publicly downplayed the report at the time.
Witten, 36, is a former third-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2003. He was in the second year of his five-year, $29.6 million contract and set to make a base salary of $5.75 million for the 2018 season when he announced his retirement from the NFL back in May of last year.
ESPN later hired Witten as a broadcast analyst for “Monday Night Football” and the Cowboys placed him on the reserve/retired list.
In 2017, Witten appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys and caught 63 passes for 560 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
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