Las Vegas Raiders: Would Jason Witten work as the new TE coach?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders will need a new tight end coach in 2021, as current tight end coach Frank Smith is leaving to join Brandon Staley’s staff in Los Angeles. Smith has done a great job with the tight end group during his three years with the team, helping develop star Darren Waller, while also getting good growth from Foster Moreau.
With Los Angeles, Smith will be the run-game coordinator, staying within the division to coach for one of the Raiders’ rivals.
This past season, Smith also had the luxury of having Jason Witten as part of the group, and while his arrival stunted some of the growth for Moreau, he was seen as having an extra coach in the room. A sure-fire Hall of Famer, Witten does not have the physical gifts to be a tight end in the league anymore, but would he work as a coach at the NFL level?
Would the Raiders hire Jason Witten as a tight end coach?
With Smith leaving for the Chargers, Witten would be a guy the Raiders may decide to vet for the position. However, nobody has any idea whether or not he wants to be a coach, or whether or not Jon Gruden would trust him with a young tight end room in that capacity, a position group that is a strength for the team.
Also, elite players don’t always translate to good coaches, so that is another thing to consider. Witten was an elite player in this league for many years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and the word is that he helped the young group in a big way this past season.
Gruden brought Witten in this season due to the fact he could be a leader in the tight end room, so a transition to being the team’s position coach would not be that far-fetched.
Next. Las Vegas Raiders: Traditional NFL Scouting Combine cancelled in 2021. dark
Witten is definitely done being a contributor on Sundays within the white lines, but having him on the coaching staff would be a positive for this team. Gruden is building a culture in Las Vegas with players and coaches he can trust, and Witten definitely earned the head coach’s trust during the 2020 season.
Witten as the TE coach in 2021? Why not.