theoneandonly
Quality Starter
- Messages
- 5,258
- Reaction score
- 531
While he amassed staggering numbers — Witten's 1,152 catches rank fourth in NFL history — that will surely send him to the Hall of Fame, Dallas only won two playoff games during his career and never even reached the NFC title game.
So how to put his sterling career in context?
Here's an attempt by ranking Witten among the 15 greatest Cowboys players of all time, a list so impressive that several Hall of Famers — Mike Ditka, Charles Haley, Terrell Owens and Rayfield Wright — were excluded:
15. QB Tony Romo: He gets too much blame for Dallas' 22-year Super Bowl drought. Nevertheless, the man who holds most of the franchise's significant passing records — they include yards (34,183), TDs (248) and QB rating (97.1) — deserves a mention.
14. CB Deion Sanders: "Prime" would surely bristle at this position, which is more indicative of his short stay in Big D (5 years) than his unparalleled coverage ability. But he was only on one Cowboys Super Bowl team (1995) and missed half that season.
13. RB Tony Dorsett: The second-leading rusher in team history (12,036 yards), he played in two Super Bowls and set a record with a 99-yard TD run in 1982.
12. LB Chuck Howley: The only player to ever win Super Bowl MVP honors (Super Bowl V) for the losing team, Howley got his ring the following year. He was an all-pro for five consecutive seasons (1966-70), tops among all Cowboys linebackers.
11. WR Bob Hayes: The lone man to win Olympic gold and a Super Bowl, "Bullet Bob" caught 71 touchdowns for Dallas, second only to Dez Bryant (73). Hayes' world-class speed brought a new dimension to the NFL and helped land him in the Hall of Fame.
10. CB Mel Renfro: Only two Cowboys can count more Pro Bowl selections than Renfro's 10. His 52 career interceptions are a team record.
9. LB DeMarcus Ware: In his nine seasons as a Cowboy, he was a Pro Bowler seven times and racked up a team record 117 sacks.
8. TE Jason Witten: His list of accomplishments are long and distinguished. Those 1,152 receptions for 12,448 yards are club records. Witten's 11 Pro Bowls are tied for most among Cowboys players, and none can match his 239 games played.
7. WR Michael Irvin: Widely credited as the heart and soul of the '90s dynasty, the fiery Hall of Famer was also highly productive. His 750 catches for 11,904 yards trail only Witten on the club leaderboard.
6. G Larry Allen: Some would argue he's the greatest guard of all time. He was almost certainly the strongest. Allen was an all-pro for six consecutive seasons (1996-2001), a record among Dallas offensive players.
5. QB Troy Aikman: The triggerman for the '90s Cowboys and one of the most accurate passers the NFL has ever seen, Aikman wound up with three rings, a Super Bowl MVP and a Hall of Fame jacket.
4. DT Randy White: The "Manster" was one of the most dominant linemen in NFL history, and his seven all-pro nods are tied for most among all Cowboys. White was also the rare defender named Super Bowl MVP, splitting the award with Harvey Martin in 1978.
3. RB Emmitt Smith: The NFL's all-time leading rusher (17,162 of his 18,355 yards came in a Dallas uniform), his value was never more apparent than in 1993. Smith held out the first two games, both losses, then returned to lead the league in rushing. He separated a shoulder in the regular-season finale but still rushed for 168 yards to help beat the Giants with the NFC East crown and a bye on the line. Smith was eventually named league and Super Bowl MVP, and the Cowboys became the first team to win the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start.
2. DT Bob Lilly: "Mr. Cowboy" was Dallas' first true star. A terror in the trenches, Lilly shares team records after being named all-pro seven times and earning 11 Pro Bowl trips. He never missed a regular-season game in 14 seasons.
1. QB Roger Staubach: "Captain America" was at the helm when the Cowboys truly entered the national spotlight in the '70s and earned their infamous "America's Team" moniker. Staubach started four Super Bowls, helped win it twice, was Super Bowl VI's MVP and came up just short to the legendary Steel Curtain Steelers twice. A Heisman Trophy winner at Navy, Staubach was renowned for his wholesome personality and ability to lead miracle comebacks, including a playoff win over the Vikings in 1975 that saw "Hail Mary" coined as a football term.
Where does Jason Witten rank among 15 greatest Dallas Cowboys players?
So how to put his sterling career in context?
Here's an attempt by ranking Witten among the 15 greatest Cowboys players of all time, a list so impressive that several Hall of Famers — Mike Ditka, Charles Haley, Terrell Owens and Rayfield Wright — were excluded:
15. QB Tony Romo: He gets too much blame for Dallas' 22-year Super Bowl drought. Nevertheless, the man who holds most of the franchise's significant passing records — they include yards (34,183), TDs (248) and QB rating (97.1) — deserves a mention.
14. CB Deion Sanders: "Prime" would surely bristle at this position, which is more indicative of his short stay in Big D (5 years) than his unparalleled coverage ability. But he was only on one Cowboys Super Bowl team (1995) and missed half that season.
13. RB Tony Dorsett: The second-leading rusher in team history (12,036 yards), he played in two Super Bowls and set a record with a 99-yard TD run in 1982.
12. LB Chuck Howley: The only player to ever win Super Bowl MVP honors (Super Bowl V) for the losing team, Howley got his ring the following year. He was an all-pro for five consecutive seasons (1966-70), tops among all Cowboys linebackers.
11. WR Bob Hayes: The lone man to win Olympic gold and a Super Bowl, "Bullet Bob" caught 71 touchdowns for Dallas, second only to Dez Bryant (73). Hayes' world-class speed brought a new dimension to the NFL and helped land him in the Hall of Fame.
10. CB Mel Renfro: Only two Cowboys can count more Pro Bowl selections than Renfro's 10. His 52 career interceptions are a team record.
9. LB DeMarcus Ware: In his nine seasons as a Cowboy, he was a Pro Bowler seven times and racked up a team record 117 sacks.
8. TE Jason Witten: His list of accomplishments are long and distinguished. Those 1,152 receptions for 12,448 yards are club records. Witten's 11 Pro Bowls are tied for most among Cowboys players, and none can match his 239 games played.
7. WR Michael Irvin: Widely credited as the heart and soul of the '90s dynasty, the fiery Hall of Famer was also highly productive. His 750 catches for 11,904 yards trail only Witten on the club leaderboard.
6. G Larry Allen: Some would argue he's the greatest guard of all time. He was almost certainly the strongest. Allen was an all-pro for six consecutive seasons (1996-2001), a record among Dallas offensive players.
5. QB Troy Aikman: The triggerman for the '90s Cowboys and one of the most accurate passers the NFL has ever seen, Aikman wound up with three rings, a Super Bowl MVP and a Hall of Fame jacket.
4. DT Randy White: The "Manster" was one of the most dominant linemen in NFL history, and his seven all-pro nods are tied for most among all Cowboys. White was also the rare defender named Super Bowl MVP, splitting the award with Harvey Martin in 1978.
3. RB Emmitt Smith: The NFL's all-time leading rusher (17,162 of his 18,355 yards came in a Dallas uniform), his value was never more apparent than in 1993. Smith held out the first two games, both losses, then returned to lead the league in rushing. He separated a shoulder in the regular-season finale but still rushed for 168 yards to help beat the Giants with the NFC East crown and a bye on the line. Smith was eventually named league and Super Bowl MVP, and the Cowboys became the first team to win the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start.
2. DT Bob Lilly: "Mr. Cowboy" was Dallas' first true star. A terror in the trenches, Lilly shares team records after being named all-pro seven times and earning 11 Pro Bowl trips. He never missed a regular-season game in 14 seasons.
1. QB Roger Staubach: "Captain America" was at the helm when the Cowboys truly entered the national spotlight in the '70s and earned their infamous "America's Team" moniker. Staubach started four Super Bowls, helped win it twice, was Super Bowl VI's MVP and came up just short to the legendary Steel Curtain Steelers twice. A Heisman Trophy winner at Navy, Staubach was renowned for his wholesome personality and ability to lead miracle comebacks, including a playoff win over the Vikings in 1975 that saw "Hail Mary" coined as a football term.
Where does Jason Witten rank among 15 greatest Dallas Cowboys players?
