The Cowboys’ tight end room was supposed to get interesting this summer. Luke Schoonmaker looked ready to make a push after steady growth in 2024, while Jake Ferguson was coming off the kind of season that usually lands a guy on the ‘prove-it’ list, not the ‘pay-him-now’ list. Ferguson’s numbers dipped across the board – 71 catches turned into 59, his yards per reception dropped from 10.7 to 8.4, and he didn’t even find the endzone once. Add in three missed games, a concussion, and Dak Prescott’s injury derailing the passing game, and it was the definition of a down year.

Meanwhile, Schoonmaker flashed enough upside that fans were starting to whisper about a real competition at TE1. Some analysts even asked if the torch might get passed sooner rather than later. Brevyn Spann-Ford lurked behind them, adding another wrinkle to the depth chart drama. Yet through all of that, Brian Schottenheimer kept signaling confidence in Ferguson – calling last year a “fluke” and pointing to his toughness, mentality, and yards-after-catch ability as proof he was still their guy.

And then came the call. ‘Big Biscuit’ wasn’t in the film room. He wasn’t grinding through playbooks. He wasn’t even on the practice field. Nope. “Every camp I get like a show, so like last year I was re-watching Game of Thrones,” Ferguson said. Dallas rang him up to tell him it was time to sign his life-changing four-year, $52 million extension… right as he was glued to the Ozark season one finale. “And then this year is my first time watching Ozark. So I was like, I’m just, season one finale, like, it was going down,” he explained. “And then I get the call, it’s like 9:45, and they’re like, can you come sign? And I was like, yeah, let me finish this up. There’s like 10 minutes left, don’t get crazy.” 

The Cowboys had the pen, the paper, and the biggest deal of his career sitting in front of him… and Ferguson told them to wait ten minutes so Marty Byrde could finish laundering money. In a way, it fits the Big Biscuit brand. He’s not the spotlight-chasing, headline-grabbing type. He’s the guy who blocks first, grinds in silence, and occasionally surprises with moments like this. But it also shows a certain confidence – because you don’t delay signing a $52 million worth of job security unless you know the team is all-in on you.

And they are. Jake Ferguson is now the highest-paid tight end in Cowboys history and the seventh-highest in the NFL. Wild demand or not, that kind of investment says Dallas sees him as more than a placeholder. They see him as their future at the position, even if Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford are still hovering around. But now comes the tricky part: justifying the deal. 

Breaking down Jake Ferguson’s $52M gamble

BB’s extension is worth $52 million over four years, with $30 million guaranteed, giving him a healthy $13 million per year average. It’s a statement contract. One that places him firmly among the top tier of NFL tight ends financially – even though his on-field production last year didn’t scream elite. Still, Schottenheimer didn’t hesitate to defend the move. “Excited for Jake,” Schottenheimer said. “Everything he’s done, last year obviously he didn’t feel like he had the best year, but I think it just shows you we’re always evaluating everything and things he’s done for us from a play temperament, the enforcer that he is, he loves football, he’s got that throwback type mentality, just really excited for him.”

But critics have a point. Dallas has bigger names looming over contract negotiations – Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, and even George Pickens. Historically, this front office has had a habit of locking up easier deals before the stars get paid. And now Ferguson’s extension fits that trend. If Parsons or Smith ends up waiting longer than they should, this signing could look less like foresight and more like misplaced priorities.

For now, though, the Cowboys are betting Ferguson’s best football is ahead of him. With Dak Prescott healthy again, a deeper receiver group around him, and a contract that proves the franchise believes, 2025 is officially set up as Ferguson’s redemption tour. He may not have scored a touchdown last year, but Dallas just handed him the ball off the field. Now it’s on him to spike it. And if he delivers? That 10-minute wild demand before signing will be remembered as the calm before the storm.