On paper, former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten seems like he should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame the moment he’s eligible for induction in 2026.
Anyone who knows football and knows Witten’s career knows it’s not going to be nearly that easy – it could be downright contentious.
The 2026 class will have just 2 surefire first ballot inductees with quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Beyond that, Witten and running back Frank Gore, the No. 3 leading rusher in NFL history, will be hotly debated candidates.
That’s also not factoring in coach/contributor eligible candidate Bill Belichick and a group of other eligible nominees who haven’t made it in yet, led by 2-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Eli Manning.
The Cowboys haven’t had a player inducted into the Hall of Fame since a pair of former defensive stars, DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley, were inducted in 2023.
Looking at Witten’s Pro Football HOF Credentials
Witten was a third round pick (No. 69 overall) by the Cowboys out of the University of Tennessee in the 2003 NFL draft and played 17 seasons in the NFL — 16 with the Cowboys and his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Witten finished his career with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns and was a 4-time NFL All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler. He’s second in NFL history for tight ends for career receptions and career receiving yards behind just Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez.
“For more than a decade, Witten was one of the best, most reliable players at his position, but not playing in even an NFC Championship Game will dent his chances,” Sports Illustrated’s Richie Whitt wrote on August 1. ” … Witten will earn his way into Canton, but because of crowded classes in 2026 (Brees, Fitzgerald, Belichick), 2027 (Ben Roethlisberger, Adrian Peterson, Gronk), and 2028 (Tom Brady, J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman), he might be forced to wait until the 2029 when Aaron Donald is the only slam dunk.”
Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor (HOFm) is “a metric designed to estimate a player’s chances of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame using AV, Pro Bowls, All-Pros, championships, and various stat milestones.”
According to the HOFm, Witten’s rating of 104.72 puts him in some incredibly elite company. The only tight ends in NFL history with higher ratings than Witten not in the Hall of Fame are Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (130.56), who is still active, and 4-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski (123.72), who is eligibile for induction in 2027.
Both Kelce and Gronkowski are sure to be first ballot inductees — something voters might consider when it comes to Witten’s candidacy.
NFL Could Have Another Witten Soon Enough
Don’t be surprised if you hear another Witten’s name being called during NFL games in the coming years.
Witten’s son, Cooper Witten, is a 5-star linebacker prospect for the Class of 2027 at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where Jason Witten is the head coach and has led the school to consecutive state championships in 2023 and 2024.
From 247 Sports: “Athletic, physical, likely role-versatile second-level defensive piece who plays with a relentless motor. Natural football IQ, awareness, instincts, etc. are obvious on tape and on the elite camp circuit.”
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