Chris Mortensen reports that Cowboys TE Jason Witten continues to contemplate whether to return for the 2018 season or join ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast. However, a source tells Mortensen that Witten received a last-minute “interesting” proposal that also is being considered.
The expectation is that Witten will have a decision by Wednesday, but the Cowboys are still hoping he’ll return. In fact, Mortensen adds that Cowboys HC Jason Garrett is actively trying to persuade Witten to play another season.
Last week, Mortensen reported that Witten was planning to retire and join ESPN, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones later said nothing was final and there wasn’t a timeline for a decision to be made.
There has been talk that Witten could retire following the 2017 season the past few months so this doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Although, Witten said back in January that he planned to be back with the team.
“Oh, I’m back,” Witten said, via the Dallas Morning News. “I’m coming back. I love playing this game too much and I know that I can play it at a high level.”
Witten, 35, is a former third-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2003. He is in the second year of his five-year, $29.6 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $5.75 million for the 2018 season.
In 2017, Witten appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys and caught 63 passes for 560 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 19 tight end out of 72 qualifying players.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
