Jason Witten Needs To Hang It Up Already
Look, I knew my time was up as a professional madden player when wifey said it was affecting family time and our marriage. I knew my time as an amateur football player was up when I got my bell rung so hard, I had spots in my vision, and some old lady was trying to take me home. The problem was it wasn’t my home she was referring to… My point is in life, you have to know when it’s time to call it a career. Does Jason Witten?
Help or Hinderance?
I get the whole “I’m going back to help my team win a championship” bid as a bailout reason for just being a subpar broadcaster. The Dallas Cowboys reopening the door to his services was an act of loyalty and probably one of the main reasons Jason Garrett is out of a head coaching job. Blake Jarwin has plenty of talent to lead in that position on the team. I believe this 37-year old was a hindrance to his team.
Witten was in the bottom half of TE’s when it came to reception yards per game with 33. Dak Prescott could have really used the services of the younger flashier TE in Jarwin on the field, taking more reps. Jarwin was bringing in almost 12-yards-per-catch according to NFL.com. I can’t blame Boyz’ the entire season the former Tennessee Vols’ very presence. However, I believe with the younger talent coming in faster and stronger, you cannot just sit them on the bench and make them “learn for a few years”. They are NFL ready now.
According to rotoworld.com, Witten is rumored to have an opportunity with the New York Giants to join his former coach and bring a veteran presence to the locker-room. How much does that really matter? The word leadership is not enough nowadays to steal roughly $4M from an organization anymore. Let’s take a look at the current Super Bowl Champions. Outside of Big Red Andy Reid, the team’s average age is just under 26. The only thing that Witten can bring to the NY Giants is a body for reps in the offseason while starters get healthy. Sure, he has the ability to make tough contested catches and even brought in 8.4 yards per catch last year, but he is slowing down as father time continues to take the W against him.
Besides, they already have a talented vet in the position already in Evan Engram who, even with an injury that put him on IR for the year, still ranked in the top 10 of TEs when it came to yards per game (58). There’s no doubt that the Giants would benefit from “12” sets, opening up the ground game for Saquon Barkley, but would anyone even fear the talent of Witten in play-action? He can be covered by an LB with ease.
It’s just time!
My point is, we all have an expiration date, and this is a young man’s game. Ben Watson saw that after his team was knocked out of the playoff in the Wild Card Round. He is now onto the next chapter in his life after he announced his retirement following the loss. Fossils like Witten need to recognize the changing of the guard and be thankful for the ability to play at the level they once did.