Witten extended

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
Cowboys, Jason Witten Agree To Extension
March 28th, 2017 at 10:15am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have signed tight end Jason Witten to an extension through the 2021 campaign, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has signed a four-year extension through 2021, according to league sources. This is the fourth contract Witten, who turns 35 in May, has signed with the Cowboys since being picked in the third round in 2003. He is the franchise leader in receptions and will become its leader in yards and most games played this season.

Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
Probably just a cap-clearing move, there is no way he makes it to the 2020 season.

He has 17-18 and then two more years at the absolute most left in him, which would take him through the 2019-20 season.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
Probably just a cap-clearing move, there is no way he makes it to the 2020 season.

He has 17-18 and then two more years at the absolute most left in him, which would take him through the 2019-20 season.
Why clear cap now though? I think part of it is Witten is on the last year of his deal and plans to play more than 1 year
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,336
Archer tweeted that cap number will remain the same.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,336
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
Escobar lolololololololololol
 

jsmith6919

Honored Member - RIP
Joined
Aug 26, 2013
Messages
28,407
 

BipolarFuk

Demoted
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
11,464
FRISCO, Texas -- Jason Witten truly will be a Dallas Cowboy for life.

According to league sources, Witten signed a four-year extension through 2021 on Tuesday that maxes out at $29.6 million. It does not include more guaranteed money but gives both sides peace of mind knowing where Dallas' longtime tight end will play beyond this season.

Witten, who turns 35 in May, was entering the final year of his deal and is set to make $7.4 million in base salary and count $12.262 million against the salary cap. The Cowboys can restructure Witten's contract and earn close to $4 million in cap space whenever they need it.

This is the fourth contract Witten has signed with the Cowboys since he was a third-round pick in 2003.

After the Cowboys' divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers in January, Witten anticipated he would return for another season even if retirement crept into his mind. With this deal, he is showing that he is thinking of playing beyond 2017.

In Cowboys history, nobody has caught more passes (1,089), played in more consecutive games (219) or started more consecutive games (163) that Witten has. By the second game of the 2017 season he will have played in more games than any Cowboy in history. He needs 17 more receiving yards to break Michael Irvin's team mark of 11,904.

Witten needs 13 catches to move into the top five in league history, passing Hall of Famer Cris Carter (1,101). Among tight ends, only Tony Gonzalez has more catches and yards than Witten, who has played in 10 Pro Bowls.

He has caught at least 60 passes every season since his rookie year, finishing with 69 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns in 2016.

As valuable as he is on the field for the Cowboys, Witten's presence as a leader is equally as important. He is the soul of a Cowboys team that has transitioned to a young roster with players on both sides of the ball looking at him for guidance.

In the last few years Witten's role has changed, with the Cowboys becoming more of a run-first team, but he remains one of the best do-it-all tight ends in the game with his blocking and pass-catching skills.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
Fisher is now saying the extension does bring 2017 cap relief. I guess we will see.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
Interesting that it doesn't include any guaranteed money, almost like it's just a series of 1-year options that allow Witten to decide how long he wants to play.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
I'm seeing reports that his new contract could max out at almost $30m.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
Archer's response:

 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
 

Smitty

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,488
Likely to be third all time upon retiring, though I doubt he keeps that position for long.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
Jason Witten shows he's all, once again, in with latest extension
11:34 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas -- Almost every time Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett talks about tight end Jason Witten, the message is the same.

"He's as professional a person, as professional a player as I've ever been around," Garrett said last season. "His commitment to doing things the right way, his commitment to excellence is unmatched. Again, it's beyond just a day, it's everything he does within that day."

With Witten signing a four-year extension through 2021, according to league sources, he is again showing what he is about.

As the franchise leader in receptions and just 17 yards away from being the leader in yards too, he could have waited on a new deal with more guaranteed money in the future. This deal doesn’t add any guaranteed money to his pockets. He could have waited to test the market in 2018, even as a 15-year veteran, to potentially chase a Super Bowl ring with another team. With his resume, he could have demanded more than he received.

But Witten’s intention is clear. If he is going to win a Super Bowl, it will be with the Cowboys. He is doing what Garrett says he does -- pouring his heart into this team.

Witten is the soul of these Cowboys. Going into the last year of his deal, it would have been difficult for him to lead the way he has without the security of added years, if not added money. He did not want teammates to wonder where he would be after the 2017 season. He did not want to incessantly answer questions as to whether this will be his final year with the Cowboys.

He took care of that by taking care of the Cowboys.

There is no guaranteed money in the deal, but the Cowboys have the right to restructure his $7.4 million base salary this year to create nearly $4 million in room. The money can come in handy if the Cowboys have the opportunity to acquire a difference-maker in a trade later this offseason or even during the season.

Witten's cap numbers in the future are manageable and will allow the Cowboys to keep their younger talent coming up on contract years.

As much as this can help the Cowboys’ salary cap in 2017 and beyond, it’s more than that.

Witten arrived in Dallas as a 21-year-old kid full of optimism. He is now a 34-year-old father of four. He has become the franchise leader in a number of categories and will add more in 2017, but he is also the conscience of the locker room.

Last season, he perfectly handled the personal disappointment of seeing Tony Romo get injured and ultimately lose his job while also supporting Dak Prescott. He has the gravitas to handle any situation in the locker room on either side of the ball with veteran players and younger players.


A little more than a dozen players were part of the council that created the much-lauded players’ creed last season, but Witten led the discussions. If players become upset with different situations, Witten can calm the waters. He bridges the concerns of players to coaches and coaches to players.

As he stood in the locker room after the loss to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round last January, Witten was emotional as he answered questions. He realized his chances to get to that Super Bowl were dwindling. Retirement became a real option for the first time.

Now, that will have to wait.

As the informal captains practices go on at The Star, the Cowboys' training facility, Witten is there every morning, running and lifting and serving as the example for every other Cowboy to follow.

Once again, he’s all in.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,732
A Jason Witten story that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones can hardly talk about without tearing up

By Jon Machota , Staff Writer

*Editor's note: The following story was published online Dec. 26. The Cowboys have signed Witten to a four-year contract extension, SportsDay learned Tuesday.

Jerry Jones shared a story last week that got the Cowboys owner and general manager a little choked up.

While talking about the respect he has for Jason Witten, Jones described an interaction he had with the 10-time Pro Bowler after he signed a six-year, $29 million extension in July 2006.

After signing the contract and taking some photos with Witten and his family, Jones was walking to his car when he felt someone grab his shoulder.

"I can hardly talk about this now without tearing up," Jones told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio's Late Hits show last Tuesday. "He turned me around with his shoulder, just like a big boy might do his dad. He turned me around and looked me in the eye and he said, 'Mr. Jones, you'll never know how much this means to me and certainly my family.' He said, 'I will never let you down. I will never let you down. This means that much to me.'

"I hadn't had that happen to me before. That's Jason Witten."

Witten vividly remembers that day.

"It was right before training camp, so he's done that quite a few times I'm assuming over however many years he's owned the team," Witten said Friday. "For the player, it's always this special time where you finally feel like you've had some success or put yourself in a position that your life is changing in a lot of ways for the people around you.

"I just remember that we did the deal and the picture and we signed and he spoke to my family and the whole deal. Just when he was walking off, I wanted him to know that that wasn't what my anticipations were or my hopes. I wanted him to know that it was going to be worth a lot more than whatever that contract was for.

"I think when you reflect back on it, to the relationship, I mean Mr. Jones has really been like a father figure to me in a lot of ways, not only on the field and the opportunity, but every opportunity that comes along with it just in life. If you can have the opportunity to go play for somebody that's how fortunate you are, really in any opportunity in life. If you're lining up guys and you get to pick them, you know [Bill] Gates, [Warren] Buffett, all these guys, I mean it's a no-brainer, it's Mr. Jones.

"I just appreciated that opportunity in 2006. It was an interesting moment. He was walking to his car and I kind of grabbed him right before. I think he was a little thrown off that I had kind of drawn his attention. But I wanted him to know it was a lot more than that money. I had only been here really three years, so that relationship was just kind of forming itself. It worked out pretty good."

Since that July day, Witten has made eight Pro Bowls and won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. He's had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons and climbed to seventh on the NFL's all-time receptions list.

"It's always interesting because of the contract negotiation," Witten said. "You're not really involved but they are. There are things being said. I just wanted to be clear to him that there's more to me than that. I wanted him to know that I appreciate the opportunity I had.

"Shoot, now 10 years later after that to think that I'd still be playing and have that opportunity with that family that he and [his wife] Gene have built and allowed us to be a part of it, man it's amazing."
 
Top Bottom