Dallas Cowboys fans should all want Jason Witten to return

The Dallas Cowboys and Jason Witten have fit perfectly together for so long like cookies and milk, even through retirement. Is that feeling still there for all?

The Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones have long lived under the umbrella of “loyalty”. It is a well-known fact that when you are or have become one of Jerry’s Guys, he’ll always take care of you.

If you have ever heard Hall of Famer and former Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Michael Irvin talk about Jones then you know this is the truth. If you have been breathing over the past decade then you can see that loyalty in the case of Jason Garrett and why he was able to sustain the head coaching position in Dallas for nearly a decade.

Lastly, and aptly based on the topic at hand, if you look at how tight end Jason Witten was welcomed back to the team with open arms after taking a complete year off to do television, then that tells the story right there. Staying on Witten though, was Jerry’s willingness to move on from Garrett a bad sign for the grizzled veteran tight end?

Who knows what it means on the Cowboys’ side, but we have now word on how Witten feels. Rumors started to circulate over the past few weeks after Garrett was hired to be the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants that Witten may be interested in following his former head coach to the Big Apple.

Here is what Witten had to say on the subject per the Twitter account of Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Well, that says a ton. With Witten having taken the past month to make that decision, there still is no clear choice on what he will do. From the perspective of the fans though, we should all want him back.

While the 37-year old Witten isn’t as fast as he once was or as athletic as he used to be, he is still effective in certain areas that are more experienced and nuanced based than most. While you may want to see him get a few fewer snaps than the likes of younger tight ends like Blake Jarwin or Dalton Schultz, there is still a place for what the 16-year veteran can do on this team.

Just this past season Witten caught 63 of his 83 targets for 529 yards and four touchdowns. Those raw numbers alone ranked him 14th among all NFL tight ends in yardage, tied for 14th in touchdowns, and eighth in receptions. Basically, he was a middle of the pack tight end or better.

When you combine that fact with Witten’s knowledge, experience, leadership, chemistry building qualities, knowledge of nuance, big-play ability, and the fact that he has at least two uber-athletic guys behind him that specialize in either area of the tight end position, it seems surefire.

To clarify, Jarwin is an excellent receiver. Schultz is a way better than average blocker,. And Witten can still get the job done as a reliable receiver and blocker.

So, to reiterate, Jason Witten can still help this Dallas Cowboys football team. Even if he just mirrors what he did in this past season. Hopefully, Jerry Jones and new head coach Mike McCarthy see that. What we should all see is a more secure, poised, confident, and trusting quarterback under center in Dak Prescott whenever Jason Witten is in the huddle.