Dallas Cowboys fans have at least one more year to soak in the stellar play of tight end Jason Witten, who said Friday that he’s going to play in 2017.
Beyond that, however, Witten isn’t sure how much gas he has left in his tank. When asked if he was up for multiple seasons, he responded:
“You know, I don’t know that it would be fair to say that,” Witten said, according to Brandon George of SportsDay. “I think at this point you just go into it and look at it one year at a time. I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t think I’m going to be making an announcement that this is it either. I know how much it takes to put into it, so you don’t know what you’re going to feel like.
“I know what I’m capable of doing, the level I expect myself to play, because when I look back on it and will continue to evaluate this season, I really felt that I was able to do that this year. For me, I love playing with this group. I love my role within it and certainly my expectation is to play at that high level. I don’t know how many years that reaches, but I still love doing it and the opportunity that I have.”
In 14 seasons with the Cowboys, Witten has started 213 games, played in 223 and has missed just one.
In addition to his iron-man status, the tight end has put up stats that will eventually make him a Hall of Famer. He’s No. 7 all time in career receptions (1,089) and is second behind only Tony Gonzalez for tight ends, No. 27 in receiving yards (11,888) and has caught 63 touchdowns in his career.
At the age of 34, he isn’t showing signs of slowing down, either, catching 69 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns this past season. He’ll continue to be a boon to this team and young quarterback Dak Prescott as long as he’s playing, both as a productive player and a leader.