Cowboys' Jason Witten Reaches 10,000 Career Receiving Yards

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten reached 10,000 career receiving yards during Sunday's 20-17 win over the Houston Texans, becoming just the third player at his position to hit the milestone, per NFL.com's Gil Brandt.

Witten, who entered the game with 9,955 yards, had just two receptions for 13 yards at halftime before turning it on after the break.

His third reception of the afternoon, which came in the third quarter, went for a 34-yard gain to bring his career total to 10,002 receiving yards. The Cowboys took a 10-7 lead two plays later on a 43-yard scoring strike from quarterback Tony Romo to wide receiver Terrance Williams.

Witten's fourth and final catch of the afternoon went for 12 yards, converting a 2nd-and-11 on the final play of the third quarter to push Dallas into the red zone. Romo threw an interception two plays later, and while the Cowboys would take a 17-7 lead shortly thereafter, they still ended up needing overtime to defeat their in-state rivals.

Witten, one of the most prolific tight ends in league history, has largely taken a backseat to the powerful Dallas running game this season. Through five games, the 32-year-old tight end is on pace for just 61 receptions for 688 yards and no touchdowns, with each of those numbers potentially representing his worst totals since his 2003 rookie season.

Of course, while his statistics may fall short of expectations, Witten has played a huge role in the Cowboys' early success thanks to his excellent run-blocking. Long regarded as one of the league's few well-balanced tight ends, Witten probably doesn't mind that his focus has shifted to the less glamorous aspect of the position this season.

After all, he's already one of just 41 players with 10,000 or more career receiving yards and will soon pass Shannon Sharpe (10,060 yards) for second place on the all-time yardage list among tight ends. Though still going strong, Witten is unlikely to reach first-place Tony Gonzalez, whose 15,127 career receiving yards rank fifth for any position.