Dallas Cowboys lock up Jason Witten for four more years

March 28 (UPI) -- Tony Romo and Jason Witten have spent a dozen seasons together with the Dallas Cowboys.

One of them is now a lock to return to the franchise for the foreseeable future. The Cowboys signed its tight end to an extension Tuesday, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. The deal locks up Witten through the 2021 season. Witten, 34, had 673 yards and three touchdowns on 69 receptions last season. The 673 yards were his fewest since his 2003 rookie campaign.

The tight end was originally due $7.4 million this season, so the deal will likely lower his $12.2 million cap hit for this upcoming campaign.

Last month, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said there were no current plans to give Witten an extension.

He even said himself that he was not expecting another deal, but also said he wanted to keep playing.

"You know, I don't know that it would be fair to say that," Witten told Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. "I think at this point you just go into it and look at it one year at a time. I wouldn't rule it out, but I don't think I'm going to be making an announcement that this is it either. I know how much it takes to put into it, so you don't know what you're going to feel like. It sounds like you may know in April, but you don't know what it's going to feel like at this point in early February coming off the season."

Witten has had four contracts with the Cowboys. He is already the franchise leader in receptions and is on pace to break Cowboys records this season for yards and games played.

He remarkably scored the first postseason touchdown of his career in January during the Cowboys' divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.