Jason Witten took issue with Bradley Roby’s effort late in Monday night’s game. Roby took issue with Witten calling the Broncos cornerback a quitter.
“For him to say that on one play. . . .,” Roby said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “It was really a mistake. I thought the play was over; I was wrong. But for him to say that, it just made me mad. There are kids I go see at the children’s hospital who have cancer, who are paralyzed, and I tell them don’t quit and this and that. And he’s going to say that when the game is over? Did Jon Gruden quit when he kneeled the ball three plays in a row when he could’ve scored? No. The game was over. I just felt like it was kind of unnecessary.
“But on the play, it did look like I stopped, so I understand where he’s coming from. But I didn’t feel like it was necessary.”
With 2:12 remaining, Roby stopped before Doug Martin was tackled by defensive lineman Shelby Harris after a 12-yard gain. Witten used the Telestrator to highlight Harris’ lack of effort and encouraged Broncos coach Vance Joseph to “pull him out, because you never quit in the NFL.”
“It was unfortunate,” said Roby, who made three tackles against the Raiders. “I felt like he was reaching to say that because it was the end of the game, and for him to characterize me as a quitter or quitting on my team, I feel like that’s the most disrespectful thing you can say in a team sport.”
Roby, who played with stitches in his mouth, wondered whether Witten’s criticism was a result of the Broncos’ 42-17 victory over the Cowboys last season. Roby admitted talking trash to Witten, then a Cowboys tight end, during the game.
“I think it’s just something he has to learn,” Roby said. “It’s his first year, I believe, commentating. He just has to learn the power that he has and the perception. I really wasn’t going to say anything about it, but I just know that people listen, people believe stuff like that. . . . He has to have more evidence before you characterize someone like that. I don’t fault him; I’m not mad about it. I just want to defend myself because I don’t want people thinking a certain way about me when I made a mistake.”
Roby is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
