Third-year New York Giants tight end Evan Engram has high praise for longtime Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has caught 26 balls for 263 yards and two touchdowns this season. Why is this impressive? Well, for one, he’s 37 years old and has done this in a multitude of campaigns. And secondly, just one year ago, he was in the Monday Night Football booth.
Witten was a color commentator for the ESPN-televised weekly national football game, having retired from football after the 2017 season. But the longtime Cowboy realized he wasn’t finished with his original profession. Thus, he came back and has continued to be a weapon for quarterback Dak Prescott.
It’s admirable to many, including New York Giants tight end Evan Engram. Leading up to the NFC East rivalry this coming Monday, the third-year Big Blue pro had high praise for Witten.
“You have those pioneers who changed the way the game is played,” Engram told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I have to be appreciative because now the tight end position is looked at as a weapon, as a mismatch.”
Engram’s the perfect example of what’s known as a “mismatch” at the tight end spot. He can utilize his speed on the underneath routes or his strength and athleticism over the top. In just his third season, he’s becoming one of the more versatile tight ends in the NFL.
But Engram has a long way to go if he wants to consider himself one of the greats, such as Witten.
“Any time you are on the field playing with or against a guy who has set the standard at your position and is a Hall of Famer, you have to take advantage of seeing that any way you can,” he said.
Engram and the Giants kick off against Witten and the Cowboys at home this Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET.
