FRISCO, Texas – After a season mixed with struggles and injuries in 2024, Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is looking to rebound in 2025, and has felt the ripples of energy coming from Brian Schottenheimer and his staff heading into his fourth NFL season in Dallas.
"I'm really excited, you can feel the energy… especially at practice," Ferguson said. "It's every tiny little detail is almost elevated and it's contagious, you can feel it in the room, you can feel it across positions and it just makes me excited to get the ball rolling and get it going."
Ferguson and quarterback Dak Prescott had quite the connection in 2023, with Ferguson notching career highs in receptions (71), yards (761) and touchdowns (5). Perhaps their favorite area of the field to connect is up the seam, where the two connected for a touchdown on Wednesday's second minicamp practice.
It's no coincidence that the two have a rhythm there, as it's been something they've built constantly since Ferguson joined the team in 2022.
"That's been going back since I got here. I love the seam ball, he loves throwing it," Ferguson said. "We just happened to have that play called today, but we've been repping that daily, routes on air, stuff like that. That's been a connection that's been building continuously."
That connection has a chance to blossom again if the two can remain healthy in 2025, especially with the addition of another threat in wide receiver George Pickens to the offense. In Ferguson's mind, it's not possible for defenses to be able to cover all of the Cowboys' offensive weapons.
"You can't cover everybody," Ferguson said. "I mean, having [Pickens], [CeeDee Lamb], Jalen [Tolbert], some of the young guys, myself, Brevyn [Spann-Ford], [Luke Schoonmaker], you physically cannot cover everybody. I think it's going to be really hard in the pass game, but then also we can run the ball too."
The 2024 season was one that Ferguson doesn't want to replicate, and he's made a strong effort throughout the offseason to ensure that he's not only able to stay on the field but continue to be a weapon for Prescott and the offense.
"My knee hurt for sure, the concussion was weird, but I've said this before, if I'm on the field I should be able to give it my all," Ferguson said. "I definitely wasn't satisfied with how I played the whole year last year.
"I don't think I've ever played a full season and not scored a touchdown, so that was something I came into this offseason really working on, just really tried to dial in on that and make sure I was lights out."
Naturally, every offensive skill player wants to have the ball in their hands. Football is a team game though, and Ferguson understood the role that he was placed into last season given the amount of injuries on the Cowboys' roster.
If that meant not catching touchdowns, he did what he was asked, but he wants to find his way to the endzone again often in 2025.
"That one stung, but at the same time I was asked to do different stuff. Whether it be chipping or pass pro or something like that, and that's okay," Ferguson said. "I'm trying to do whatever it takes to have this team and to go and get our ultimate goal, so whatever they need me to do.
"It was kind of just a personal thing, probably get over that hump, but at the end of the day, yes, I do want to score touchdowns."
Not only is it a bounce back opportunity for Ferguson, he's heading into the last year of his rookie contract. With an extension potentially on the horizon, Ferguson's not focused on the future and instead wants to make the most of his present opportunity.
"I have one job, and that's to play football to the best of my ability. I'll let my agent handle that." Ferguson said.
