Rob Gronkowski: Who are his rivals for G.O.A.T. status?

Jason Witten

If Jason Witten proved anything during his brief one year of retirement, it’s that he’s probably not cut out for color commentating.

But hey, that’s okay. Witten is still one heckuva football player, and he’s undeniably one of the greatest tight ends to have ever played the game.

Fortunately for us fans (and especially those with Dallas leanings), Witten surprised us all by recently announcing that he plans to end his retirement and return to the NFL for another season with the Cowboys this fall. Who knows what exactly the 36-year-old still has left in the tank, but given the lackluster state of the tight end depth chart in Jerry World last year, even a withered, watered-down version of Witten is probably better than the trio of Jarwin/Schultz/Gathers.

Witten ranks second all-time in career receptions and receiving yards by a tight end (behind another guy you’ll find later on this list, no doubt). He played 15 seasons, all of them in Dallas, before his foray into the Monday Night Football booth in 2018. Assuming Witten doesn’t change his mind again and actually follows through with his plans to take the field – and assuming he makes the final team cuts, of course – this fall will mark his 16th season in the NFL.

Witten firmly belongs in the G.O.A.T. conversation amongst tight ends, simply due to his incredible longevity and his even more incredible production during that timespan.