Blogging The Boys
Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.
Dallas believes in their newly signed tight end.
The Dallas Cowboys extended Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson with a four-year, $52 million contract extension, which includes $30 million guaranteed. The deal makes the former 2022 fourth-round pick the highest-paid TE in franchise history.
The 26-year-old is coming off an injury-riddled season which included an injured knee and a concussion, and saw a decline in his production, finishing with 59 receptions for 494 yards and failing to find the end zone throughout the season. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer made it clear the call to extend Ferguson wasn’t about the production, but instead about what the former Wisconsin Badger brings to the team.
“He’s a great leader. He’s lighter (this season). He’s moving around really, really well,” Schottenheimer said. “I think last year, you look at the first game against Cleveland, and he gets his knee pretty banged up. And then he’s got a concussion mid-season at some point. That’s so uncharacteristic of (Ferguson).
It was just a year prior, in 2023, when following the departure of Dalton Schultz, the Cowboys moved Ferguson int the role of the full-time starter. In his first season leading th group, Ferguson recorded 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns and was named a Pro Bowl selection.
#87 is locked down for the foreseeable future.
Jake Ferguson: Cowboys Buy Low, Bet Big On Tight End
The new deal keeps Ferguson in Dallas until 2030 and places him sixth among NFL tight ends in total contract value, just behind Cleveland Brown, David Njoku, and slightly ahead of Chicago Bear, Cole Kmet.
In short, $52M is nothing to scoff at, and his $30M in guaranteed money isn’t either. The thing is, had Dallas waited until next offseason, that price tag could have ballooned.
Ferguson caught fire in 2023, alongside the near-MVP Dak Prescott, but his numbers fell off a cliff last season with his QB1 sidelined.
12 fewer receptions, over 250 fewer receiving yards, and a five-touchdown drop to zero.
I can promise you that, if he had repeated his 2023 success in 2024 or if he returned to that level this season, Jake Ferguson would have asked for a $65M+ extension. This is a smart buy-low, bet big move on a young weapon with a ton of potential.
Schottenheimer is planning on using his QB2.
While Milton isn’t taking Dak Prescott’s job anytime soon, head coach Brian Schottenheimer may have accidentally revealed the 25-year-old’s role for this season (other than backing up Prescott): the wildcat quarterback. ...
