"Tight end Jason Witten is seemingly the forgotten man on the Dallas Cowboys.

For all the questions and concerns about the offense, the lack of leadership and the absence of a go-to guy in the passing game, nobody is talking about the five-time Pro Bowler who has led the team in catches the past two seasons and is already the greatest tight end statistically in Cowboys' history. He holds the team record for receptions and yards by a tight end.

For all the excitement about the emergence of athletic tight end Martellus Bennett and the game-breaking ability of running back Felix Jones, the man who is laying the groundwork for a possible run to Canton is being lost in the conversation. The seven-year veteran is only one of six tight ends in NFL history with five consecutive 60-catch seasons after catching a team-high 81 passes for 952 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Witten, however, would have it no other way, heading into Sunday's season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

"It's a good problem to have when you have other people to talk about," Witten said. "I've got my priorities together and the things I need to work on to get better. I just try to focus on playing at a high level year in and year out."

After the embarrassing and frustrating end to a tumultuous 2008 season — in which the Cowboys opened as preseason Super Bowl favorites only to miss the playoffs — he prefers to be out of the limelight.

Especially after finding himself in the middle of the controversy between quarterback Tony Romo and former receiver Terrell Owens that fractured the locker room.

A report suggesting Owens was jealous of Romo's relationship with Witten took on a life of its own, resulting in a verbal altercation and Witten being accused of leaking information to the media.

"Any time you are thrown in there, it bothers you," Witten said. "I was disappointed it affected our team more than anything. ... You hope people know you are better than that."

It's probably even more disappointing for someone like Witten, who is the embodiment of a team player, who takes his job seriously with a no-nonsense approach and whose signature play is a run without his helmet against the Philadelphia Eagles."