Former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said recently that he was glad to hear that Tony Romo retired and added that he wished the quarterback’s longtime target Jason Witten had made the same decision.
Witten’s offseason has things moving in the other direction, however. Witten signed a four-year extension to his contract with the Cowboys that leaves him signed through the 2021 season and said Wednesday that he’s “confident that I can play and continue to play” when asked about Parcells’ comments.
Witten also said that he’ll reevaluate that feeling each year to make sure he continues to feel that way.
“I think you always take it a year at a time,” Witten said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You always take that approach. But certainly I feel like I’m a part of this group that’s continuing to build. I never looked at it from the standpoint that, ‘Hey, this is the end.’ I know my role within that and this group and I’m anxious to get started. I don’t know how many years that entails but I certainly feel a big part of it.”
The deal Witten signed added no new guaranteed money, so the Cowboys won’t be left on the hook salary cap-wise in the event Witten’s confidence about his ability to play should dissipate before his contract has run its course.