Life without Jason Witten is not a fun thing, but it’s the world the Dallas Cowboys have lived in for the last five years. Luckily for them, they have been able to find quality replacements at the tight end position in recent years.
It looked like the team found something with former fourth-round pick Dalton Schultz. After stepping out of the shadows of Witten, he broke out onto the scene with 63 catches for 615 yards in 2020. Schultz followed that up with a 78-catch, 808-yard season that included eight touchdowns. It was the first time a Cowboys tight end had over 800 yards in a season since a younger Witten did it in 2013.
Despite Schultz’s success, the Cowboys moved on from him, letting him sign with the in-state rival Houston Texans in 2023. However, the team didn’t miss him because they liked what they had in another former fourth-round tight end, Jake Ferguson. After spending his rookie season playing second fiddle to Schultz, Ferguson took on the lead tight end role with vigor in 2023, racking up 71 catches for 761 yards with five touchdowns. It was clear that the Cowboys made the right decision and that Ferguson was the future.
Unfortunately, year three was a down season for Ferguson. With a Cowboys offense that was broken and injuries (MCL sprain and concussion) caused him to miss games, he finished with a middling 59 catches for 494 yards. In the blink of an eye, this young, promising tight end of the future is entering the final year of his rookie contract. What’s next for Ferguson?
While a new season will answer a lot of questions, the Cowboys might want to get out their crystal ball and figure things out right now. If he’s their guy, then signing sooner versus later makes a lot of sense. If not, then let nature run its course. People have their own thoughts on what the Cowboys should do, but here are four reasons the Cowboys should sign Ferguson to an extension before the season starts.
Ferguson has skills
The first thing the Cowboys must decide is whether Ferguson has a coveted skill set or if his attributes are a “dime a dozen.” If he’s easily replaceable, it wouldn’t make sense to shell out huge money for something they can find much cheaper.
While Ferguson doesn’t stand out like the elite tight ends in the NFL, he does a lot of things well. He’s a super reliable target for Dak Prescott. He’s always where he’s supposed to be and very often becomes the money down target. If you want the chains moved on third or fourth down, he’s your guy.
He’s also a player who is always grinding for extra yards. His legs never stop, he’ll lower his shoulder, and he’ll turn small gains into bigger gains. Despite not being XL in size, Ferguson is hard to bring down. He’ll make guys miss in the open field, and he’ll power through for extra yards.
One of the things I love about Jake Ferguson is how relentless he is. He has a nose for the first-down marker and does such a great job fighting for extra yards. He's the kind of peskiness you want on your side. pic.twitter.com/O201Xtzs0y
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) July 12, 2025
But the icing on the cake for Ferguson is his top-tier receiving ability. He has excellent hands and does a great job extending his arms for some impressive over-the-middle catches. Many tight ends can sit and turn around for those short five-yard gains, but the list grows thinner when you want a downfield threat. Ferguson has the receiving ability to beat you in a lot of different ways.
The Cowboys don’t have other quality options
The team thought they were getting a stud tight end when they took Luke Schoonmaker in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Two years later, we can see that’s clearly not the case. No offense to Schoonmaker, he just hasn’t manifested into the player they were hoping for at this point in his career. Maybe it’s coming.
The Cowboys also have a talented undrafted free agent from a year ago in Brevyn Spann-Ford. He had a solid rookie season and is primed to take on a larger role this year, especially with a new coaching staff that is notorious for using multiple tight ends early and often.
While Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford have potential, they are a far cry from the high points we’ve seen from Ferguson. If the Cowboys moved on from Ferguson, they could put the tight end position group in a bad spot.
He’s poised for a big season
You may have heard the news that CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are the team’s new one-two wide receiver punch this year. That’s exciting; however, the excitement doesn’t stop there. As we all anticipate the trickle-down benefactor of which WR3 is going to be allowed to roam free in the secondary, let’s not overlook what this could mean for Ferguson.
With defenses scrambling to keep attention on Lamb and Pickens, it could create some favorable matchups for Ferguson as well as some extra space to run. This could open the door for a big season that will only increase his asking price when he hits the open market.
The market could be on the rise
Speaking of that open market, there is a good list of top tight ends who will become unrestricted free agents next offseason. That list includes Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, and Dallas Goedert. That’s a lot of Pro Bowl tight ends hitting free agency.
When the supply is high, the cost tends to drop; however, these are some of the league’s top tight ends. Some of them are going to get big paychecks. If Ferguson’s representation can make a case that he belongs in the vicinity of that pay band, it could result in a sizeable contract for him.