Rejoice, “Monday Night Football” viewers and Cowboys fans.
Jason Witten has decided to return to the NFL this season after a much-criticized year in the booth.
The Cowboys tried luring Witten, 36, out of retirement during the last regular season, but he opted to remain a broadcaster.
“The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,” Witten said in a statement. “This team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship. This was completely my decision, and I am very comfortable with it. I’m looking forward to getting back in the dirt.”
Witten returns to a team that won the NFC East last season while lacking the reliable pass-catching tight end they now have back on their team.
For ESPN, it will now decide whether to stick with Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland or replace Witten, The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported. Kurt Warner was considered the runner-up when Witten got the job. ESPN is also trying to land Carolina tight end Greg Olsen, who also has an offer from Fox and may return to the Panthers.
“We thank Jason for his many contributions to ‘Monday Night Football’ and to ESPN over the past year and wish him continued success,” ESPN said in a statement. “We have seen many former coaches and players go into broadcasting before eventually returning to the game they love, so we understand Jason’s desire to return to the Dallas Cowboys.”