Witten to return to Cowboys, leaving the MNF stand

FRISCO, Texas – Jason Witten is back among the Dallas Cowboys, the team said on Thursday.

Witten leaves ESPN's Monday Night Football and returns to the playing field less than a year after announcing his retirement. According to sources, Adam Schefter of ESPN, Witten has signed a one year contract for an amount of $ 3.5 million.

Witten played in 11 Pro Bowls during his 15 years with the Cowboys, becoming the franchise leader in receptions and receptions. He has also played in more games (239), more consecutive games (236), more games (229) and more consecutive games (179) than any player in Cowboy history.

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  The Cowboys head coach said "the end-to-end mindset has served us well over the years."

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  To shape the future of the franchise, Stephen Jones & Co. faces a busy schedule as he performs several tasks on both the contracts and the prospects of the harvester.

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  Successful projects are judged not only by a selection among the top 32, but by prospective gems that are discovered mid-term or at the end of the round.

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When returning, he will also have the longest service time with the organization at 16 years old.

"The fire inside me to play and play this game burns too hard," Witten said in a statement. "This team has a big group of young rising stars, and I want to help them compete in a championship, it was a total decision, and I'm very comfortable with that. mud. "

According to Schefter, some members of the Cowboys' organization have long regarded Witten as a NFL head coach – and this decision could serve as a bridge for his coaching career.

Before joining ESPN last May, Witten had made the decision to leave the game until signing a four-year contract with the network. He acknowledged that he had experienced difficult times during his first year as an analyst, but he also felt that there was growth.

"We thank Jason for his many contributions to Monday Night Football and ESPN over the last year and wish him every success," ESPN said in a statement. "We've seen a lot of former coaches and players get into the broadcast before coming back to the game that they like, so we understand Jason's desire to return to the Dallas Cowboys."

In the release, ESPN said it would determine plans for next season for Monday night football in the coming weeks.

There had been discussions about Witten's return potential on the field last season, but he stayed in the stand.

Dirk Nowitzki, another long-time athlete in Dallas, welcomed Witten on social media.

Welcome baaaaack @JasonWitten

– Dirk Nowitzki (@ swish41) February 28, 2019

On the evening of February 12, he awarded the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award to Dr. Cota Dixon of Wisconsin. He was asked when he would return to the field and he said, "I do not think we are going to do it. … I do not know where it is. "

But he admitted to having "missed the devil to play".

"Look, every day I was part of the Cowboys, and even before that I loved football, I loved the process," Witten said. "I loved Mars, I loved training camp, I enjoyed going beyond adversity and crossing it with [the] Guys, this common commitment is part of it. Nothing can replace that feeling and I knew it. "

According to some sources, his decision to return is due to the fact that he had more to give as a player no misfortune with television. It also resets the clock for a possible selection at the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

In 2017, Witten picked up 63 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns and was added to the Pro Bowl as the first replacement.

Although Witten spent most of the clichés for most of his career, he came back knowing that he would play a different role in 2019 as a mentor.

Cowboys written Dalton Schultz in the fourth round last year and saw him start seven games after Geoff Swaim fell with a broken wrist. Blake Jarwin led the Cowboys with 27 assists in 2018 for 307 yards and three touchdowns. While Swaim is on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Cowboys also have Rico Gathers under contract and could rely on the project for a long-term job response.

"Wow, that's surprising, but" Wit "is a good leader," Taco Charlton spokeswoman Josina Anderson told ESPN, the return of Witten. "I loved being around him, he is reliable … and I know our team will be happy to receive it."

Witten turns 37 in May and remains in good form, if not football. He has regularly been named one of the most successful players in the off-season program and those around Witten think he can quickly regain his strength.