OXNARD, Calif. — Jake Ferguson has made two Pro Bowls and has not played a snap this preseason. He was asked Monday how camp has gone and did not reach for anything flattering.
“I’m not comfortable. I never want to be comfortable,” Ferguson said. “There’s a lot I want to do. I wouldn’t say I’m where I want to be. There’s a lot I know that I can do, and there’s a spot that I want to be at, and I know I’m not there yet.
“And that’s the point of camp, is get better each and every day, each and every practice,” Ferguson continued. “And that’s all I’m trying to do, is just keep trying to hone in on my game and really perfect my craft.”
Asked how he gets there, Ferguson went to a phrase he keeps.
“I think it’s just consistency, not getting complacent. One of my favorite quotes is complacency kills,” Ferguson explained. “As soon as you get comfortable, as soon as you get, oh, I don’t need to do this, or I don’t need to work as hard, or I don’t need to lock in on this walkthrough or something like that, that’s when it starts to hurt you.
“So just being consistent in everything I do, and the little things,” Ferguson detailed. “Focusing a lot more on the little things.”
The Best Teams Police Themselves
The Dallas Cowboys have a leadership council, and Ferguson was asked why it matters to him.
“There’s a saying, it’s the best teams police themselves,” Ferguson said. “It’s one thing to have a coach or have somebody saying it, but when you’ve got a guy who cares enough, a brother who cares enough to tell you and to hold you accountable, but at the same time who knows you and knows how to approach you on certain topics, that’s what it’s all about.
“And that’s how you create that brotherhood. That’s how you create that strong brotherhood,” Ferguson continued. “And that’s all we’re trying to do.”
Ferguson caught 59 passes for 591 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2025. Dallas drafted him in the fourth round in 2022 out of Wisconsin, and he has been the starting tight end since his second season. He signed a four-year extension in March 2025.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2023 after catching 71 passes for 761 yards and 5 touchdowns, and returned to it last season. He was among the starters held out of Saturday’s 17-7 preseason win at Seattle.
The Room Behind Him
Dallas has turned over the tight end group around Ferguson. Zack Kuntz arrived Aug. 6, claimed off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders after Dallas lost Princeton Fant for the season to a torn ACL. Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers are the two rookies, and Trigg played his first NFL game at Seattle after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor on April 26.
“Zack Kuntz coming in, essentially getting thrown into the fire, he’s handled that really well,” Ferguson said. “And then Trigg and DJ, the two rookies, they’re coming in, they’re soaking in all the information they can get, and then they’re really applying it to the field. It was really great to see both of them get out there on the field. And I’m just excited to see how they go throughout the rest of camp.”
Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford round out the room. Schoonmaker was a second-round pick in 2023 and caught 14 passes for 132 yards last season. Kuntz was a seventh-round pick by the New York Jets that same year out of Old Dominion.
Spann-Ford went undrafted out of Minnesota in 2024 and has 18 career catches across two seasons in Dallas. He did not play at Seattle either.
“I knew him in college,” Ferguson said. “He’s always been the guy who’s going to put his nose down and work, and that just proves to the kind of player he is, the kind of guy he is. He’s done that ever since he’s gotten here. And him, Coach giving him the green light, the ball cap on Saturday, is just a testament to how hard he works, what he does on the field, off the field, and how he approaches this game.”
What Is Left In Camp
Dallas hosts the New Orleans Saints for a joint practice Tuesday in Oxnard, the last open practice in California. It is the second joint session of camp after the Los Angeles Rams came out Aug. 11. Saints coach Kellen Moore spent eight years in Dallas as a player and coach, including four seasons as offensive coordinator.
The Cowboys return to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco for two more open practices on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26.
Dallas signed Von Miller Sunday night to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million that can reach $7.5 million. Ferguson has blocked him before.
Dallas allowed 511 points last season, most in the NFL, and finished 30th in yards allowed. The offense returns Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens, who is playing in 2026 on the franchise tag.
Most of that group sat at Seattle. Undrafted rookie Camden Brown caught both Dallas touchdowns, one from Sam Howell and one from Joe Milton III.
The Cowboys play at the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. CT on NFL Network, then close the preseason against New Orleans on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium. The regular season begins Sept. 13 at the New York Giants.
