The Jake Ferguson deal was excellent for the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys finally gave out a contract extension! Relax, it’s not the guy everyone was hoping for, but it is a good player. On Sunday, the Cowboys signed their Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson to a four-year, $52 million extension, with $30 million in guarantees. It brings him in at an annual cost of $13 million per season, making him the seventh-highest-paid tight end in the league.
Just a couple of weeks ago, we mentioned the Cowboys should try to get Ferguson extended before the season started, so this news is music to our ears. With the deal done, here are the four things about this extension that we love the most.
Avoid Higher Costs
One great thing about getting Ferguson signed is the Cowboys won’t have to compete with what could be a jacked-up tight end market next offseason. George Kittle and Trey McBride just signed new deals this offseason for $19 million per year. Yowzer! Other tight ends like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, and Dallas Goedert are all entering the last year of their contracts and will be up for an extension next offseason. This means we could see some high prices for tight ends real soon.
The Cowboys avoided all of that. By being proactive, they got Ferguson for a good cost, which will probably be even better after some of these other guys get bigger paydays. The front office doesn’t get much recognition for getting ahead of things, but that’s exactly what they did here. Well done.
Get Ahead Of A Breakout
For the past four seasons, a tight end has finished second on the team in receptions, with Ferguson being that guy for the last two years, and Dalton Schultz the two years prior. That won’t be the case this season. The Cowboys now have both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, creating one of the best receiving duos in the game. With so much attention given to those guys, what is that going to mean for Ferguson? Answer: A lot of open space.
Ferguson has already had a 761-yard season with five touchdowns. He should continue to feast as one of Dak Prescott’s safest targets, only now he’ll have more room to get a running start before he jumps over people. He’s technically already had his breakout season, but he could be in store for some more career-bests this year, which would have driven up his price entering free agency next offseason.
He’s A Keeper
The Cowboys are very particular about the players they decide to retain. Players like Schultz, Tyler Biadasz, and Tony Pollard are also fourth-rounders who turned into Pro Bowl players, but the team opted to let them walk in free agency. They obviously don’t view Ferguson in the same light.
This is great news considering the Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator is a former offensive line coach who is masterful in utilizing his tight ends. Klayton Adams did a great job with Trey McBride, Tip Reiman, and Elijah Higgins in Arizona, all of whom logged over 400 snaps last year. Ferguson is known for his impact as a receiver, but he’s a well-rounded player. His skill set, from good hands to his toughness to his peskiness as a blocker, makes him a valuable asset to this team, and it’s nice to have the endorsement of the new coaching staff.
They Won’t Have To Reload In 2026
Tight ends are important for Prescott. Whether it’s Jason Witten, Schultz, or Ferguson, Prescott loves to have someone underneath he can count on. The team loved what they saw out of Luke Schoonmaker coming out of Michigan; however, after two lackluster seasons, it doesn’t look like he’s going to follow in those same footsteps.
Schoonmaker is still developing, and they also have second-year undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford on the roster, but those guys now feel like luxuries rather than players that must step up to help them transition into the future. With Ferguson locked down for the next five seasons, the Cowboys won’t have to worry about who will be their primary tight end for many years to come.
