Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is set to retire and will join the Monday Night Football broadcasting crew, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen:
The 35-year-old was drafted with the 69th pick by the Cowboys in 2003, and he spent 15 tremendous seasons with America's Team. Witten was an 11-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-team All-Pro selection and will undoubtedly be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day.
With the first round of the NFL Draft over with, Dallas still has six more rounds to draft a new tight end to work with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. With Witten retired and Pro Bowler Dez Bryant getting cut, the Cowboys passing offense will look a whole lot different next year.
Witten will go down as one of the top-five greatest tight ends of all-time. In 2012, his 110 receptions became the most in a season for a tight end. He also has 18 catches during a game in that same year, which was also a record for a tight end.
Only Tony Gonzalez has more receptions than Witten at the position. And only Jerry Rice, Gonzalez and Larry Fitzgerald have more catches than Witten, who sits fourth all-time with 1,152. He was remarkably durable and healthy throughout his career, becoming a major red zone weapon and security blanket for his quarterbacks.
As for ESPN, picking up Witten will be a major win for their Monday Night Football broadcast. Jon Gruden left his color commentator position after signing a $100 million contract to become next head coach of the Oakland Raiders, while play-by-play man Sean McDonough left to broadcast college games instead.
ESPN reached out to Peyton Manning, but the five-time MVP and future Hall of Famer turned down a broadcast position. Seeing how much former teammate Tony Romo has succeeded as a CBS commentator, it's safe to assume Witten will also flourish in the booth.
