This week, the Dallas Cowboys struck a major contract extension. It wasn’t the Micah Parsons deal that everybody has been waiting for, but it’s one that the Cowboys felt needed to get done based on the timing.
The veteran tight end Jake Ferguson landed himself a five-year deal. He is expected to make $52 million from the Cowboys over that time.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Todd Archer revealed the key numbers from the contract breakdown.
2025: $1.406 million
2026: $7.25 million
2027: $6.25 million
2028: $11.75 million
2029: $11.75 million
Ferguson also has $750,000 for an active roster bonus in 2026-2029, and $500,000 in escalators/incentives. $30 million of the deal is reportedly guaranteed for the veteran tight end.
The extension could be viewed as a questionable decision made by the Cowboys. The 2022 fourth-round pick has three seasons under his belt. He exceeded 500 yards just once.
During Ferguson’s rookie year, he started just half of the 16 games he played. He caught 19 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
Ferguson became a full-time starter for the Cowboys in 2023 and put together a Pro Bowl season. He caught 71 passes for nearly 800 yards. The veteran tight end found the end zone for a career-high five scores. He seemed to be trending in the right direction, but saw a regression in year three.
Dealing with setbacks throughout the year, Ferguson played in 14 games. He caught 59 passes, while averaging 8.4 yards per catch, his lowest of his career. Ferguson produced just under 500 yards and didn’t reach the end zone. once. He also fumbled four times after not fumbling once throughout his first two seasons.
Despite the down year, the Cowboys felt confident enough to make an investment in Ferguson. Like most extensions, there is a lot of risk in play. Since Ferguson has one standout season under his belt, paying him Top-10 tight end money looks like an overpay right now.
The Cowboys are banking on the idea that Ferguson will bounce back while getting a full season with Dak Prescott, who is returning from an injury. The bar isn’t super high for Ferguson. If he can put together a career year, the Cowboys would likely feel really good about jumping on that investment early.
Now, the Cowboys have to place their focus back on the veteran edge rusher, Micah Parsons. Similar to Ferguson, Parsons is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. The veteran star has made it clear he wants to lock in a long-term deal before the season starts. Currently, Parsons and the Cowboys are at a standstill.
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