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Jon Gruden saw this coming.
Four days prior to the final game of the season, the Las Vegas Raiders coach said he expected tight end Jason Witten to retire after 17 NFL seasons. The same day, Witten said he hadn’t decided on his future.
That changed on Wednesday as Witten told ESPN that he is retiring. Witten played 16 season with the Dallas Cowboys (he took 2018 off to be a broadcaster on ESPN’s Monday Night Football and then returned to Dallas in 2019) and then ended his career with the Raiders in 2020.
Witten told ESPN that he will sign a one-day contract with the Cowboys to officially retire. That will happen in March when his contract with the Raiders officially expires.
Jason Witten has told ESPN he is retiring from the NFL after a 17-year career. He intends to sign one-day contract and retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in March when his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders expires in March. He finishes his... https://t.co/BcXGA3Lk9r
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 27, 2021
Witten had 13 catches for 69 yards and played a lot for Las Vegas. Coaches and players raved about the impact the 38 year old had on the team.
Gruden said he thinks Witten can be a great coach and Witten said that idea is possible. By the way, the Raiders have an opening at tight end coach with Frank Smith just leaving for a promotion with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders were planning to move away from Witten on the field and give third-year player Foster Moreau the No. 2 job behind starting tight end Darren Waller. Moreau’s playing time dipped in 2020 with the Witten signing but he has strong potential.
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