Cowboys rookie TE Jake Ferguson agrees to terms as Dalton Schultz waits

The Cowboys have come to terms with their tight end.

No, not that one.

Jake Ferguson, the fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, has agreed to a four-year deal with the club. That news comes courtesy of ESPN’s Todd Archer and was confirmed shortly thereafter by the team.

Ferguson was the last of the Cowboys’ draft picks to finalize his rookie contract; all nine will be officially inked before the start of mandatory minicamp next week.

The tight end position in Dallas has gotten extra attention this week with the announcement from incumbent starter Dalton Schultz that he would not be participating in the week’s four scheduled voluntary OTA sessions. The veteran had the franchise tag placed on him in March, but is reportedly frustrated that the front office has not made any significant moves to get him signed to a longer-term deal before the July 15 deadline.

If a new contract is not negotiated before then, Schultz will earn $10.9 million for 2022 and be a free agent at the conclusion of the season.

Quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters Tuesday night that he speaks with Schultz often and was not surprised by his absence. The Cowboys signal-caller says he understands why the Stanford product is opting out of the voluntary workouts- although he himself didn’t hold out after getting tagged in 2020- and maintains he feels “very confident” with Schultz and his current situation.

Schultz cannot be punished or fined for skipping this week’s practices, but would accrue escalating fines for each day of minicamp that he misses.

That won’t be an issue, however, for the 23-year-old rookie who grew up in Madison and then stayed for college, logging big numbers for the Badgers as the grandson of Wisconsin football legend Barry Alvarez.

Big things are expected of Ferguson in Dallas. At the very least, he is being looked to as the second half of a 1-2 punch at the position, partnered with Schultz in the offense’s frequent double-tight-end sets.

This week, though, he’ll be getting first-team reps with Prescott as Schultz sits out, working with fellow Cowboys tight ends Sean McKeon, Jeremy Sprinkle, Ian Bunting, and Peyton Hendershot.

Some observers are already crowning Ferguson the heir apparent in the group, the puzzle piece that will ultimately render the far more expensive Schultz expendable.

And for now, he’s the one who’s locked in for the long haul.

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