It is weird to say, but I still don't think Witten gets enough credit in the wider NFL. I think he is clearly the #1 TE of his generation. He isn't quite the pass catcher that guys like Gonzalez and Gates were, but they weren't even in the vicinity of him when it comes to blocking. He doesn't have the flashy big plays of a guy like Gronk, but Witten is methodical. He gets open running the same route against the same defender over and over again all game long. And they can't stop him, not because of any great physical skills, but because he runs his routes so perfectly precise. He could have way more than 1000 catches by now if he hadn't spent a big portion of his career staying in to help out terrible olines. And none of these guys are more durable or tougher than he is. One missed game for a broken jaw. Starting in the season opener 3 weeks after rupturing his spleen.
Off the field, everyone wants to talk about Hardy. No one mentions that Jason Witten has run a charity since 2010 that helps stop domestic violence. He runs a free football camp in Tennessee for over a 1000 kids every year. It might not have much bearing on best TE, but everything else being equal give me the guy who is a good person too.
And to finish off my hostile hagiography of Mr. Witten let me mention that he named his daughter Landry. Game. Set. Match.
