Dallas' TE1 isn't covering himself in glory, and in truth, he hasn't for a while.
The fallout from the Dallas Cowboys' 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio on Sunday has been as you would expect...rather explosive.
And, in truth, given how the game ended, we all knew it would be coming for head coach Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Christian Parker, but something has been bugging me for a while.
And it's the form of tight end Jake Ferguson.
The Cowboys' starting tight end, who signed a new four-year, $52 million deal in July of 2025, hasn't been the player he thought he was going to turn into.
Yes, since the start of last season, he has a total of 11 TDs, which puts him third among all tight ends.
But what we are about to go through should make you nervous about Ferg long-term.
Let's get to it.
He's not the yardage tight end anymore:
Since his 2023 season where he posted 761 yards, he hasn't gotten close to that number.
Last season, his 600 yards were fine, but they came from 82 receptions (7.3 yards per reception), which isn't good. But let's dive a little deeper shall we?
Since the beginning of last season, Ferguson only has 50+ yards in a game five times.
But wait, there's more and this is where is gets concerning.
From his last seven games (the last four of 2025 and the first three of 2026), his yard totals are as follows: 16, 19, six, five, 23, 43, and six in Rio. Oh, and he hasn't had more than four receptions in a game.
That's a problem. However, it isn't his biggest one.
Ferguson has a fumble problem:
Since 2024, Ferguson has had a whopping eight fumbles, leading tight ends during that span. The next best is Juwan Johnson with five.
But wait, there's more.
Our friend Marcus Mosher, Ferguson is averaging a fumble every 18 touches, which, for reference, is worse than any other player in the NFL who has fumbled the most; the next best is running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who averages a fumble every 40 touches.
That's absurd, and certainly not what you would expect from your $52 million tight end.
Yes, his fumble against the Ravens was debatable, but once again, he put the ball on the ground. We saw Jaydon Blue be punished for doing so, and Ferg is doing it more than most.
He has nearly as many touchdowns since 2024 (11) as he has fumbles (8), and that is a blinking red light for the Cowboys' coaching staff.
The calls for Brevyn Spann-Ford to be TE1 are growing louder.
