Cowboys may have quietly started preparing for life after their 2-time Pro Bowler
Dallas Cowboys spend $16.2M on tight ends but Jake Fergusons decline and a brutal 2026 schedule have rivals asking if the position needs an entire rebuild.
Cowboys may have quietly started preparing for life after their 2-time Pro Bowler originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Jake Ferguson headlines a Dallas Cowboys tight end group costing $16.
2 million against the salary cap this season. That spending figure currently ranks 11th among NFL positions. This level of financial commitment is unlikely to carry beyond the current season.
Ferguson has underperformed for two consecutive years since his breakout 2023 campaign in Dallas. His 2024 season ranked among the worst statistical years in franchise history for a tight end. His 2025 campaign offered little improvement in generating yards after the catch.
Ferguson has fumbled seven times across the past two regular seasons combined. "Ferguson has been anything but 'safe' serving as Dak Prescott's safety valve," Reid D Hanson wrote for Cowboys Wire. Ferguson's 2026 cap number ranks seventh highest on the entire Dallas Cowboys roster.