Is Jason Witten a first ballot Hall of Famer?

[Nav22]

Honestly, I'm not so sure he'll get in 1st ballot. Michael Irvin didn't even do that.

He'll get in at some point.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Hell no

So, you're saying an ELEVEN TIME Pro Bowler and two-time first team All Pro isn't going to be a first ballot HOF er?

If you can find another 10+ time Pro Bowler that wasn't I'd be very, very surprised.

But we'll find out in about 3 years....

 

[stilltheguru]

Yes thays what im saying. Half of the pro bowls were fraudulent

So, you're saying an ELEVEN TIME Pro Bowler and two-time first team All Pro isn't going to be a first ballot HOF er?

If you can find another 10+ time Pro Bowler that wasn't I'd be very, very surprised.

But we'll find out in about 3 years....

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Yes.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Gronkowski and Kelce have already passed Witten on the PFR Hall of Fame monitor.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/hof/hofm_TE.htm

Looking at the top TEs on the list, Witten stands out for relatively few AP1 years.

Gates is eligible this year. Then Witten in 2 years. Then Gronk the following year.

Bad timing for Witten. Gates and Gronk should both be first ballot. Witten is the likely odd man out if they don't want to do 3 in first ballot TEs in 4 years.

 

[Angus12]

No he quit on his team 1 day before the draft for a crappy ESPN gig

Which has absolutely zero to do with what he accomplished on the field. Which is what the HOF is supposed to be about. He's a first ballot HOFer.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Gronkowski and Kelce have already passed Witten on the PFR Hall of Fame monitor.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/hof/hofm_TE.htm

Looking at the top TEs on the list, Witten stands out for relatively few AP1 years.

Gates is eligible this year. Then Witten in 2 years. Then Gronk the following year.

Bad timing for Witten. Gates and Gronk should both be first ballot. Witten is the likely odd man out if they don't want to do 3 in first ballot TEs in 4 years.

All of them are well above the average HoF TE by at least 7 points. They will all get in 1st ballot, aesthetic opinions notwithstanding.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Yes thays what im saying. Half of the pro bowls were fraudulent

Wouldn't be too quick to disagree with you on that point.

But here's the thing with that:

Why is Lynn Swann in the HOF? Wasn't stats, less than Drew Pearson but got in way before him. But he had the juggling highlight catch in a SB, it's still played on the TV. And he played on SB winning teams, more exposure. Swann's just an example.

Why would Witten get in first ballot? Well, you have the helmetless catch/run, you have John Madden praising him A LOT, you have his being Romo's security blanket for so long, again much exposure. Played with a ruptured spleen! Again, much exposure.

NFL Man of the Year. Not a stat, nothing to do with football really, but just something extremely few NFL players will ever get.

Add to that his stats and I don't see any way he's not first ballot HOF.

Now do I think he should be? That wasn't the question that was asked. Let's just leave it as is....

 

[buybuydandavis]

Yes thays what im saying. Half of the pro bowls were fraudulent

Not half, but 2017 was a bad joke.

Don't know when it happened, but players just started declining Pro Bowl offers, forcing the league further and further down the balloting. Lots of Pro Bowls are bogus these days.

Biadasz made it last year. He has never been more than an average center.

 

[RoboQB]

Yes. Easily.
I think, because Witten (that's W.i.t.t.e.n, kids)
played for so long, people should re-visit his stats from
his prime years. Dude was a legit top guy.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

Like the old saying goes, “does a pig like slope”, Yes and Yes!

 

[cowboysfan99]

I have a feeling he won’t be. I’m still baffled how Ware wasn’t. That 2022 class had to be one of the weakest ever.

 

[buybuydandavis]

All of them are well above the average HoF TE by at least 7 points. They will all get in 1st ballot, aesthetic opinions notwithstanding.

I don't think that being above average means you make 1st ballot.

 

[diamonddelts]

Hell no

Reported.


Lol

 

[sunalsorises]

The only question is who else is going to go into the Jason Witten Wing in the Hall of Fame.

Jerry Jones had to keep the roof open on the stadium because nothing can cover Jason Witten.

 

[Walker]

First Ballot will be an easy one.

 

[StarOfGlory]

Yes. /end thread.

 

[John813]

His inaugural class for 2026 is:
Brees(lock)
Fitzgerald(lock)
Gore(maybe a lock) Longevity
Geno Atkins(maybe) 3x All pro, 8 PBs, 2010 All Decade team. 75.5 sacks as a DT over 10 years.
Pouncey(Steelers Center) 5 x All Pros, 10 PBs, 2010 All Decade Teams.

Ignoring any 2024/25 non first timers.

So, I think he has a good shot as IIRC it's 6 members+ 3 seniors.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I think Jason Witten was a great player for a stretch....then a good player for the remaining portions of his career. His impact/numbers remind me of Art Monk. He was mostly a consistent player as opposed to a game changer. I think he is a Hall of Famer. I would be shocked if he is first ballot.

 

[jsb357]

His media try and fail will keep him out on the first ballot.