There’s a lot to take in with Jason Witten deciding to return to the Dallas Cowboys after a year away in the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football. Seriously. Think about that sentence for crying out loud.
Witten served his 2018 season wearing an ESPN suit and tie versus the blue and silver of America’s Team. While he’s trading in his dress shoes for some cleats this year, last season he was the color commentator for the final game of the week on the schedule.
He worked games for a lot of NFL teams. This includes teams that the Cowboys play specifically during the upcoming season.
Jason Witten worked games for 10 of 13 Cowboys opponents in 2019 last season
Throughout the course of last season Jason Witten worked MNF games that included some notable teams:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Redskins
- New York Giants
- Chicago Bears
- Minnesota Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
- New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams
- New England Patriots
- Buffalo Bills
What’s interesting about this list, you ask? Those happen to be 10 of the 13 opponents that the Cowboys will face this season (Detroit, Miami, and the New York Jets are absent). That’s 10 different teams who Jason Witten got to know somewhat intimately in terms of coaches, players, and some level of strategy.
Of these 10 teams it’s worth noting that the Green Bay Packers did change coaches over the offseason so whatever Witten might have learned might not be as effective towards them specifically. That still leaves nine teams that Witten got some intel on, and 12 total games worth of intel, if you consider the NFC East teams.
We have no idea what Witten could have learned, but it couldn’t hurt
Production meetings between coaches/players and broadcast teams aren’t exactly something where the former spills everything they’ve ever worked on; however, this whole situation with Witten is obviously extremely unique. He’s going right back to the playing field after a year in that way of life. That’s rare. Michael Irvin expanded on this idea on Thursday’s episode of NFL Total Access.
Michael Irvin on Jason Witten’s return: This is a great day for the Dallas Cowboys and the Cowboys fan base, getting back the greatest tight end they’ve ever had
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) March 1, 2019
(via @nflnetwork) pic.twitter.com/NSCWFwSS4C
Broadcasters take notes during meetings like this. It feels safe to assume that Witten might still have those (or some variation of them) and if it were you, wouldn’t you go back and look at those Redskins/Eagles tidbits the week you’re playing Philadelphia? It makes all the sense in the world to.
Jason Witten is obviously returning to play football for one reason... a Super Bowl victory. It’s the lone accolade that’s evaded him throughout his decorated career, and it also feels safe to assume that he’ll do anything possible to achieve it in this short window he’s given himself. Maybe that will include some information acquired from behind enemy lines.