The Landry Hat
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5 Cowboys greats who finished their career with a different franchise

By Randy Gurzi

Arizona Cardinals Emmitt Smith (22) breaks away from St. Louis Rams Rich Coady (25) on the way to the endzone for a third qtr. touchdown at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, September 12, 2004. St. Louis Rams won the game 17-10. (Photo by Scott Rovak/Getty Images)
Arizona Cardinals Emmitt Smith (22) breaks away from St. Louis Rams Rich Coady (25) on the way to the endzone for a third qtr. touchdown at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, September 12, 2004. St. Louis Rams won the game 17-10. (Photo by Scott Rovak/Getty Images) /
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Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Jerome Baker (55) tackles Las Vegas Raiders tight end Jason Witten (82) during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jason Witten, Las Vegas Raiders

The end of Jason Witten’s NFL career was weird, to say the least.

One of the best Cowboys of all time, Witten played 15 years straight in Dallas and put together four seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving and had three more with at least 900.

Witten was a fan favorite for his durability — he missed just one game in his career which came as a rookie when he broke his jaw — and sure hands. He was never an athletic freak, but he was always in the right spot and made the clutch catch.

But then as he entered his mid-30s, his effectiveness dropped. He was still catching everything, but his yards per catch were dropping and the offense seemed to be better when they didn’t rely on him. This led to his retirement in 2018, and he then joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” crew.

His stint there was disastrous and led to more jokes about his suddenly growing hair which then departed when he left ESPN and returned to Dallas in 2019. That year, he had just 8.4 yards per catch which led to the Cowboys finally moving on. Witten responded by joining the Las Vegas Raiders where Jon Gruden was hiring as many old people as he could to fill out his roster.

In one year with Las Vegas, Witten had just 13 receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. It was a forgettable season, even if it was a predictable outcome.

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