Jason Witten retired from his NFL career before the start of the 2018 season, and his send-off as a lifelong member of the Dallas Cowboys was legendary. Yet one year removed, he still feels the itch to play and won’t completely rule out a return.
Speaking to reporters at the Star in Frisco Monday for the second annual Jason Witten College Football Man of the Year award ceremony, he shared how much he misses the game.
“I missed the heck out of playing,” Witten said, per the Star-Telegram. “Every day when I was part of the Cowboys and even before that I loved the game of football. I love the process. I loved March. I loved training camp. I loved getting better, adversity and going through it with guys. That shared commitment part of it. Nothing can replace that feeling. And I knew that.”
However, Witten made it clear that while he wanted to play last year, he didn’t feel it was right to insert himself into what Dallas was doing.
Then, Witten expressed plenty of ambiguity when asked if he would consider a return in 2019, saying, “No…I don’t think we are going to…I don’t know where that is,” leaving the door open, albeit ever so slightly.
One wonders if things might have been even a little bit different if Witten’s reception as an NFL analyst went as smoothly and was as well-received as his former quarterback, Tony Romo. Instead of being praised for his new vocation, Witten was routinely, and widely mocked due to his struggles in the booth.
At the age of 36 (Witten will be 37 next football season) and with 15 seasons of wear and tear on his body, it seems unlikely that Witten could realistically make a return to the gridiron. He has to know that. But despite it all, it’s clear Witten wishes things were different.