Dallas Cowboys hoping for 'even bigger' Year 3 jump for Jake Ferguson

Jake Ferguson proved the Dallas Cowboys’ strategy right last season after the team parted ways with starting tight end Dalton Schultz. The team opted not to sign Dalton Schultz back on in free agency, and instead, counted on Ferguson to have a breakout season, which he did. Now, heading into his third season in the league, the Cowboys are once again hopeful that Ferguson can perform as one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

“He had a good year last year, but can you do it again?” Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells said during minicamp. “The legends and the great players do it consistently over the years — Jason Witten, Travis Kelce, Tony Gonzalez — you can go down the list — the great ones do it consistently every year. You can’t be one and done or a one-hit wonder, because those get lost.

“If you wanna be great, you’ve gotta do it every year, consistently, and I think that’s the challenge he understands. And that’s the best thing: he understands that. … [He] set the standard last year, now let’s make sure we do it even better, like the great ones do.”

Following a rookie season with just 19 catches and 174 yards, Ferguson exponentially increased his production in 2023. He posted 71 catches for 761 yards with five touchdowns. He was also responsible for 40 first downs. The performance earned him his first Pro Bowl nod, but hopefully, not his last.

“It’s his consistency and his passion — his energy,” Mike McCarthy said of the tight end. “And, really, it’s his growth as a football player. We talked a little bit about his weight, and I think he’s done an outstanding job in his transition phase of it. He’s having a great offseason.

“He’s very, very comfortable with the things we ask him to do on top of his production.”

Ferguson leads Cowboys tight ends room

Ferguson is young, just 25 years old, but he’s responsible for leading a room of tight ends with almost as little experience as he has. With Dak Prescott‘s example, the former Wisconsin star believes he can come into his own this season.

“I need to make that exact same jump [as last year], but make it even bigger,” Ferguson said. “In this league, you can’t get complacent. You’ve got to keep getting better, and that’s what I intend to do. We’ve got great vets in our facility — Brandin [Cooks] and Dak — and they teach you how to take care of your body and how to take care of your mind as you start to get older.

“I’m 25 and I’m like, ‘Ooh, I am kinda getting old for a football player.’ I’ve got to start making those strides and get better every year.”

Ferguson and the rest of the Cowboys players will come back together for training camp next month. They’ll head to Oxnard, California where the team will prepare for a preseason with games against the Rams, Raiders and Chargers.