The Cowboys' 11-time Pro Bowl tight end is leaving his job as an analyst for "Monday Night Football" and will rejoin Dallas this year, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Witten, 36, retired after the 2017 season, but on Thursday he said he wants to return to football and win a championship, WFAA reported.
He will receive a one-year deal worth $5 million, according to multiple news outlets.
“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 joined ESPN in May, and his first season as a "Monday Night Football" analyst played to mixed reviews, ESPN reported.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told the sports network that he knew Witten “was seriously deliberating” a comeback.
"As you know, when Jason retired last year, he had a real difficult decision. He obviously missed it," Jones told ESPN. "I've never seen anybody really embrace the physical part of football like Jason. He missed that. The rougher it is, the better.
"We're happy to have him. We think he can still play and he thinks he can still play."
Witten finished the 2017 season with 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He was named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl, the Morning News reported.
Witten is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in receptions (1,152) and receiving yards (12,448), the newspaper reported. He leads the franchise in games played (239) and consecutive starts (179).
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