Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is on the brink of retirement after 15 season to join ESPN as an analyst for Monday Night Football, league and team sources told ESPN on Friday.
Witten, 35, has a meeting scheduled with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday to inform him of the decision, the sources said. Two sources said Witten's plans won't be final until he receives Jones' blessing, and one source allowed that Witten could always have a last-minute change of heart.
A team source said the Cowboys were aware of the possibility, but Witten was not making a final decision until he met with Jones.
Nevertheless, the consensus is that Witten's impressive football career is coming to an end.
Neither Witten nor Jones were available for immediate comment. ESPN declined comment and has had no announcement to reveal its new Monday Night Football broadcast team.
Witten would leave the Cowboys as the franchise leader in games played (239), pass receptions (1,152), receiving yards (12,448) and is third in receiving touchdowns (68).
He also is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Lilly for the franchise mark with 11 Pro Bowl selections.
Beyond the franchise impact, Witten is fourth all-time in NFL history for pass receptions and is only the second tight end in history to have more than 12,000 receiving yards, trailing only Tony Gonzalez (15,127) in that category.
Despite having signed a new four-year contract and saying he planned to play beyond this season, Witten has been engaged in talks to become a game analyst with multiple networks, including ESPN, for several weeks, sources said.
"I know this: The burn is strong inside me to play at a high level and to be a part of one of these groups of guys and one of the leaders to see this thing through and go try to compete for a championship," Witten said after the Cowboys' season-ending win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 31.
"When I wake up tomorrow, that's where my focus will be on as I move forward. It hurts because you don't get a whole lot more opportunities at this and I realize that. But rest assured that I'm going to do everything in my power to help us be better as we move forward. And I think it needs to be clear that it starts with yourself."
Witten was a constant at the captains' workouts at The Star before the official start of the offseason program.
If the arrangement is finalized, as expected, he will become the third former Cowboys player to work as a lead network broadcast analyst, joining Troy Aikman (Fox) and Tony Romo (CBS).
The Cowboys now must determine whether the tight end position becomes a priority for the second and third rounds of NFL draft on Friday night.
James Hanna was placed on the reserve/retired list after he decided to walk away because of an arthritic knee condition, and the Cowboys have Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and Rico Gathers under contract.
Swaim's nine receptions represent the entire output of the trio. Witten had 19 games in his career with at least nine catches, including a record 18-catch, 167-yard effort against the Giants on Oct. 28, 2012. The 18 catches are the most ever by a tight end and tied for third most in a game overall.
Witten, who played collegiately at Tennessee, was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2003 draft. The Cowboys signed Romo, an undrafted free agentout Eastern Illinois, that same year.
Witten quickly became one of Bill Parcells' favorites, earning the Hall of Fame coach's favor by missing just one game because of a broken jaw as a rookie.
In order to play against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 19, 2003, Witten stuffed rolls of quarters in his sweatpants so he could make his prescribed weight despite not being able to eat solid food.
It was the first sign of what became Witten's legendary toughness. He did not miss another game in his career, despite numerous sprained knees, ankles and other injuries. In 2012, he suffered a lacerated spleen in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders but managed to get cleared medically hours before the regular-season opener against the New York Giants.
He caught only two passes for 10 yards, but coach Jason Garrett called it his favorite Witten memory.
"Forget 110 catches, forget eight-time Pro Bowl, forget all that stuff, when you tell the Witten story, I start with that one, because I think he showed what he's all about," Garrett said. "What he's been doing for a long time in this league, and a great example for the rest of our football team and, really, for the rest of humanity and the whole NFL. That's how you do it. He's really a tough guy, he's an amazing guy, and we're lucky to have him."
Witten turns 36 in May. He and his wife, Michelle, have four young children. In 2012, he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner for his work in the community. His S.C.O.R.E. Foundation has provided assistance for families and women affected by domestic violence after he grew up in a household that was torn apart by domestic violence.
ESPN's Todd Archer contributed to this report.
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