It’s a long shot, but the Dallas Cowboys might be able to sneak another player into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the near future.
Legendary Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was one of 4 Hall of Fame finalists in their first year of eligibility announced on Tuesday, December 30.
From the Associated Press: “Quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald headline a group of four modern era finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tight end Jason Witten and running back Frank Gore were the two other first-year-eligible players who were also announced Tuesday among the 15 finalists.”
Witten was a third round pick (No. 69 overall) by the Cowboys in the 2003 NFL draft and played for Dallas from 2003 to 2017 and again for one more season in 2019.
Contentious HOF Debate Awaits for Witten
On paper, Witten seems like he should be in the 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 Brees and Fitzgerald. Beyond that, Witten and 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.
Peep This: 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 class, when Aaron Donald is the only slam dunk.”
According to the Pro Football Reference Hall of Fame Monitor, 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 eligible for induction in 2027. Both Kelce and Gronkowski seem like surefire first ballot inductees.
Cowboys Legend Named Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalist