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Dallas Cowboys head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, at his introductory press conference. January 27, 2025.
The Dallas Cowboys made a somewhat big splash when they re-signed tight end, Jake Ferguson, to a 4 year, $52 million deal, that was announced on Sunday morning by Ian Rapoport,
The #Cowboys and standout TE Jake Ferguson have agreed to terms on a 4-year extension worth $52M in new money with $30M total guaranteed. The deal was done by agent Jack Bechta (@jackbechta).
Ferguson gets a $12M signing bonus. Dallas takes care of a young star. pic.twitter.com/Qd1zsVzTky
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2025
And later in the day, when addressing the media, head coach Brian Schottenheimer explained where his thoughts were at following the signing – and he was already seemingly onto the franchise’s next extension plans.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer when asked about TE Jake Ferguson getting his contract extension signed: “There are a number of guys we’re trying to get done.” pic.twitter.com/AntTpxoJQl
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 27, 2025
Ferguson Another Extended Player In Dallas?
Beyond simply pointing to other players the team needed to also re-up, the Cowboys head coach also praised the player himself.
“He’s a great leader.” Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf wrote in The Athletic, “He’s lighter (this season). He’s moving around really, really well,” Schottenheimer said. “I think last year you look at the first game against Cleveland and he gets his knee pretty banged up. And then he’s got a concussion midseason at some point.”
Ferguson had a slight down year in 2024 compared to his breakthrough sophomore season in 2023. His 761 receiving yards two seasons ago regressed to 494 this past year – although he did miss three games last season.
It is clear that the team and Schottenheimer feel that the trajectory for Ferguson is firmly upwards. $13 million per year is not exactly a groundbreaking figure, but it does place him as a top-10 tight end in the league by annual salary, ranking seventh behind the Browns’ David Njoku.
Which Other Players Are The Cowboys Trying To Re-Sign?
The obvious answer is clearly none other than star edge rusher, Micah Parsons, who remains sans new deal heading into his fifth year option in 2025.
Parsons is – in all likelihood – in line to become the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL. And his contract will no doubt be the biggest burden on the team for years to come, if they do ultimately manage to work out a deal.
But the way Schottenheimer phrased his statement revealed that it was not just one player they are working on bringing back. It would seem that the two most likely candidates to be currently embattled in negotiations with Jerry Jones and co. are former All-Pro cornerback, DaRon Bland, and 2 x Pro Bowler, Tyler Smith.
Both Smith and Bland have demonstrated an ability to compete at a high level over the past few seasons. Whilst the team will likely give preference to the offensive lineman, Smith, over Bland, if the finances dictate that they can only sign one of the pair – it would not be shocking to see both remain Cowboys in 2026 and beyond.
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
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