Jason Witten Returning To Dallas Cowboys, Leaving 'Monday Night Football' For $5 Million NFL Salary

Retired NFL player Jason Witten is returning to the Dallas Cowboys for the 2019 season. After spending one year as an analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football”, the tight end will once again re-join the team with whom he spent his entire professional football career.

Witten, 36, spent 15 seasons with the Cowboys after being taken by Dallas in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He made 11 Pro Bowls during his career, even doing so in his last season with the team. Witten caught 63 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns in 2017.

Witten has 1,152 career receptions for 12,448 yards and 68 scores.

“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 had trouble replacing Witten in 2018. Blake Jarwin was Dallas’ top tight end with 27 catches for 307 yards.

Witten didn't exactly draw rave reviews as a broadcaster. The crew of Joe Tessitore, Booger McFarland and Witten received plenty of criticism during their first year together in the “Monday Night Football” booth, though ESPN reportedly planned to keep the group together in 2019.