Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten explains why he's played through so much pain with the Cowboys

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:57 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

Jason Witten has missed just one game during his illustrious career with the Dallas Cowboys, sitting out against the Eagles because of a broken jaw when he was a rookie in 2003.

The perennial Pro Bowl tight end has played in 210 consecutive games but just because he hasn’t missed a game in more than a decade doesn’t mean he’s avoided injuries.

Witten’s most memorable injury was the lacerated spleen he suffered in Dallas’ preseason opener in 2012. He missed the rest of that year’s exhibition schedule but was on the field when the regular season kicked off.

So why is he in uniform game after game?

“I love to play football,” Witten said Thursday (watch the full interview in the video above). “And I think anybody that’s ever been my teammate or I’ve been theirs understands how much I love that. When you break a collarbone or do something like that, that’s out of your control. You’re put on the shelf for a few weeks.

“For me, I’ve been lucky from that standpoint and when you have injuries you grind it out.”

Witten, who has 24 catches for 232 yards this season, has had his fair share of bumps and bruises -- as any NFL tight end would during a lengthy career -- but has been relatively lucky when it comes to injuries. For Witten, missing a game is unfathomable.

“I couldn’t imagine not being out there, whether we were Week 16 and were out of the playoffs or whether we were playing for a championship,” Witten said.