Jason Witten's Possible Retirement Won't Make Cowboys Draft TE, Jerry Jones Says

Despite veteran tight end Jason Witten potentially being on the brink of retirement, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday that the organization doesn't have to draft a tight end on Day 3 of the 2018 NFL draft.

According to Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones added, "Wherever Jason comes down at the end of the day, it's not going to affect how we pick tomorrow."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Friday that Witten is planning to retire and join ESPN's coverage of Monday Night Football as the lead analyst for the 2018 season.

After meeting with Witten on Friday, Jones told the Cowboys' official website that the veteran tight end has yet to make a final decision regarding his status.

The 35-year-old Witten remained productive last season, reeling in 63 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns en route to his 11th career Pro Bowl.

He is among the most prolific tight ends in NFL history with 1,152 receptions for 12,448 yards and 68 touchdowns, and he is a likely future Hall of Famer as well.

If Witten opts to retire, the Cowboys will be left with little to speak of at the tight end position. The only other tight ends currently on the roster are Geoff Swaim, Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin.

Neither Gathers nor Jarwin has ever caught a pass in an NFL game, while Swaim has just nine receptions for 94 yards in his three-year career.

Should the Cowboys decide to take a tight end on Day 3 of the draft, Miami's Chris Herndon and Indiana's Ian Thomas are among the top options.

The Cowboys own the No. 116 and No. 137 overall picks in the fourth round of the draft, as well as one pick in the fifth round, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.