Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: TE Jake Ferguson

Contract Status

**Years Left:**4
2026 Cap Hit:$10.4 million

Even with a couple of down years, Ferguson is still performing up to his compensation. The $12.5 million average on his deal is well below the $19 million that George Kittle and Trey McBride make every year. Ferguson is tied for seventh on the highest-paid TE list: pretty fair for a guy who’s a perennial borderline Pro Bowler.

As long as he maintains that level of play, Ferguson should be safe through 2028. It’s 2029 where things really get interesting, when his cap hit shoots up to $19.8 million at 30-years-old. In three years, that may still sound like a discount depending on what other tight ends are making.

The only real threat for Ferguson right now is injuries. Dallas hasn’t done any restructuring on his deal yet, leaving themselves some flexibility even as soon as this year. In 2027, the Cowboys could save $2.2 million off the cap with an outright release and $7 million with a June-1st cut. While we certainly don’t expect Ferguson’s Dallas run to come to such a quick end, there is a least an open door there that doesn’t already exist with veteran Cowboys players. Dallas will have options, so Ferguson has to make sure they have no desire to use them.

2026 Projections

**Role:**Starting TE
**Roster Chance:**100%

Again, we have no doubt that Ferguson returns this year to his starting role. The questions at TE are well beneath him – can Luke Schoonmaker save his job, can Brevyn Spann-Ford emerge as the clear TE2, and can Michael Trigg be an undrafted gem? But no matter how those situations go, none of them are suddenly going to present a threat to Ferguson.

But even if he’s safe now, Ferguson still needs a strong 2026 to keep it that way. The rising anxiety about his health and performance, and the flexibility we discussed in his contract, don’t give him that much remaining cushion. In last month’s draft, if the top defensive players had all been scarfed up, many were comfortable with the idea of Dallas using the 12th-overall pick on TE Kenyon Sadiq. That was very much a response to Ferguson’s down stock.

Will Cowboys fans still have wandering eyes about potential TE upgrades next spring, or will Jake Ferguson get the bandwagon rolling again? That’s not only a big question for him in 2026, but a big factor in just how potent this Dallas offense is going to be.

Check out our previous player profiles from this series:

G Tyler Booker
WR Jonathan Mingo
LB Shemar James
LS Trent Sieg
G Trevor Keegan
EDGE Tyrus Wheat
FB Hunter Luepke
S Alijah Clark