You can never have enough Cowboys in an NFL TV booth, so it seems. Fox Sports is targeting tight end Jason Witten to become its new "Thursday Night Football" analyst, sources tell Sporting News.
Fox and ESPN spent February pursuing Peyton Manning to call "TNF" and "Monday Night Football," respectively, offering him an unprecedented $10 million a year. But if Manning doesn't want to do TV, the 35-year-old Witten could step right off the playing field and into the TV booth for Fox.
If Witten is interested, he would join former Cowboys quarterbacks Tony Romo (CBS) and Troy Aikman (Fox) behind the microphone on NFL game telecasts this season. The list of former Cowboys stars who've moved from America's Team to the booth is impressive, starting with "Dandy" Don Meredith on "MNF" with Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson/Frank Gifford.
MORE: McDonough leaves 'MNF' for college booth
Executives from Fox are intrigued by the possibility the popular, square-jawed Witten could replicate the rookie TV success of Romo, his close friend and former road roommate. He'd have the advantage, like Romo and Aikman, of broadcasting to a built-in, national fan base that loves the Cowboys.
But persuading Witten, who's coming off a Pro Bowl season, won't be easy. After the Cowboys' regular-season finale, he told the Dallas Morning News he plans to play again in 2018 for what would be his 16th season.
Witten's representatives declined to comment. Fox also declined to comment.
The Cowboys signed Witten to a four-year contract extension in March 2017. His retirement would be a blow to a squad trying to play catch-up in the NFC East, having fallen behind the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
Although he turns 36 in May, Witten continues to play an important role in Dallas' offense as an all-purpose tight end. He caught 63 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns last year while also helping to create holes in the running game for Ezekiel Elliott. Witten's durability also remains a plus with his streak of consecutive games now at 239.
The 2003 third-round pick out of Tennessee has amassed a slew of NFL and team records during his career. He trails only the retired Tony Gonzalez in career receptions and receiving yards for a tight end. (Gonzalez now works as an NFL analyst at — where else? — Fox.) Witten holds NFL records for most receptions in a season (110) and a game (18) by a tight end. He's the Cowboys franchise leader in receptions and receiving yards.
Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and former coach John Fox recently auditioned with Fox, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, but Fox's top picks are Witten and Manning, said sources. TV networks frequently invite current players in for TV tryouts before their playing days are done. Gonzalez, for example, talked with several interested networks before retiring before the 2014 season.
The game of musical chairs among NFL game announcers has sped up in recent days. On Friday, Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reported ESPN was reassigning "MNF" play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough back to college football after two disappointing seasons in the booth with Jon Gruden.
With Gruden now the head coach of the Raiders, ESPN will have to cast a new team in the booth to join sideline reporter Lisa Salters. The Post reported Joe Tessitore will become the new "MNF" play-by-play announcer, but ESPN declined to comment. If Witten is interested in TV, a source said ESPN would love to talk to him.
