If Cowboys tight end Jason Witten plays football this year, he’ll earn a base salary of $1.05 million and up to $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses. If he accepts the pending offer from ESPN, he’ll make a lot more than that.
David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports that the pending Monday Night Football offer to Witten would pay $4-4.5 million per year.
If Witten ultimately decides to keep playing for less than half the amount he’d make by not playing, the potential alternatives could include Kurt Warner, Rex Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck, Booger McFarland, and Louis Riddick. According to the Washington Post, each of those four candidates has been considered for the job.
Whoever gets the gig will be paired with Joe Tessitore, the new play-by-play announcer. ESPN has been working for months to find a replacement for Jon Gruden, who left after nine years to become coach of the Raiders.