Jason Witten: Bill Parcells is getting soft in his old age

Jason Witten thinks his former coach Bill Parcells is getting softer as he ages.

In an interview with the New York Daily News in April following news of Tony Romo’s retirement, Parcells said he was happy that his former quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys retired.

Parcells, who drafted Witten in 2003, also said, “I wish Jason Witten had retired.”

Witten is now 35 and will be playing his 15th season with the Cowboys after signing a new deal with the team in the offseason.

Witten joined the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota and Brandon George on their “Candidly Cowboys” podcast and responded to Parcells.

“Bill has been a great resource for me over the years. I think he’s getting a little soft here in his old age, telling us to retire,” Witten told Machota and George. “I think for him he’s seen what Tony has gone through. Coach has been gone now for over 10 years. I think that’s no different than a family member, somebody you love, you want to see them healthy and move forward. Coach knows I love to play and opportunity and I feel good. He’s certainly a resource for me, a mentor who allowed me to get to this position. I feel confident that I can play and continue to play. For Tony, I know he had some people in his circle that he talked to and valued their opinion and I think coach was one of those guys.”

Witten continues to show on the field that he can still play. The tight end caught 69 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns last season, which was very close to the numbers he put up the two previous seasons. Witten is probably right that Parcells is looking out for him like a concerned friend or family member. But the future Hall of Famer is still contributing on the field, so why should he retire any time before he needs to.