The Cowboys made a bold statement about the tight end position back in mid-March when they decided to not to bring back future Hall of Famer Jason Witten for a 17th year.
They went a step further by turning the page completely, giving Blake Jarwin a four-year contract worth nearly $25 million.
Witten obviously isn't ready to hang it up as he signed a one-year deal with the Raiders.
But being on another team hasn't stopped him from playing the same role he has to Jarwin for the past four years.
"Witt is a great guy," Jarwin said. "He's always been there for me. He's just a true professional."
Here recently, Jarwin said he got a phone call from Witten, offering up nothing but words of encouragement.
"Yeah he reached out about three weeks ago," Jarwin said last week in a virtual interview with DallasCowboys.com. "He just told me 'good luck, I'm excited for you. What an awesome opportunity this is for you.' He just wants to make sure I don't take anything for granted and push myself daily. That means a lot. For a guy like that to reach out. To have that friendship between us still, it's awesome."
Jarwin joined the Cowboys in 2017 as a rookie free agent and spent most of the year on the practice squad. It wasn't until the Eagles called and tried to sign him to their active roster did the Cowboys make a spot for him on their 53-man roster to keep him. Ultimately, that cost Jarwin a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles winning the title that season.
In 2018, Witten retired for one season to join Monday Night Football, and Jarwin was part of a tight end committee that tried to replace the veteran. Jarwin caught three touchdowns in the season finale against the Giants, giving fans a glimpse of the future.
Last season, with Witten returning, Jarwin still saw an increased role on the field, but remained the backup. He had career-highs in catches (31) and yards (365) with three more touchdowns.
But he's the No. 1 tight end now, and said he will take what he's learned from Witten as he steps into a larger role.
"I never once took for granted what he coached me. I'm thankful for what he did," Jarwin said of Witten. "It's going to help me moving forward."
Jarwin is the starting tight end, followed by newly-acquired Blake Bell, who should be more of a blocker in a backup role. Dalton Schultz is entering his third season and the Cowboys also have first-year pro Cole Hikutini and a couple of rookie free agents – Sean McKeon and Charlie Taumoepeau.
"I'm excited for the task," Jarwin said. "I'm grateful that they believe in me to be the future of the tight end positon. It's my job to never be content with that. To just say 'I got a great deal now and I can coast.' That's never been my approach and that won't be approach in the future. Now I have to push myself even harder and prove that I deserve what they gave me."
