The Dallas Cowboys open their 2025 preseason schedule on Saturday evening against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Unfortunately, it seems safe to say that one key member of the offense will not be taking part it in that matchup after suffering an injury during training camp on Thursday.
After taking a rough shot to the back, which you can see in the video clip below courtesy of Joseph Hort of the Dallas Morning News, Cowboys starting tight end Jake Ferguson stayed down for a few moments before ultimately returning to his feet.
Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson was down for a little while after this awkward hit from Kenneth Murray Jr. pic.twitter.com/yY7glm5j9c
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 7, 2025
It is important to note that Ferguson initially did not leave the field and only returned to the locker room later on in the practice session. Back injuries are nothing to mess around with, though. This is especially true when it comes to a game as physical as football. For that reason alone, fans were likely not so patiently waiting for any news regarding Ferguson's status moving forward, and that report finally came down on Friday morning.
Dallas Cowboys Reportedly Avoid Injury Scare to Top TE Jake Ferguson
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, Ferguson is dealing with a back contusion and not something more serious.
Jake Ferguson is dealing with a back contusion suffered Thursday, according to a source. Not considered serious so the Cowboys avoid a scare with their starting tight end.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 8, 2025
This is great news for Dallas for several reasons. First and foremost, the tight end is a safety blanket for most quarterbacks, and this has been true for Dak Prescott over the years. With Dak coming off an injury of his own, having all of his usual weapons healthy and available to play in Week 1 will only make his return to the huddle go smoother.
Second, there would be a serious drop-off in experience and prior production if Ferguson were deemed unable to play for an extended period. Despite being a second-round pick in 2023, backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker has just 35 receptions to his name over 34 regular-season appearances.
As Archer noted, the Cowboys avoided a serious blow to the offense with Ferguson's injury being just a bruised back. While the 26-year-old certainly wants to be out there on the field with his teammates for practice and these exhibition games, the coaching staff would be wise to let him rest and get as close to fully healthy as he can be before returning to the huddle.
The former Wisconsin Badgers standout might not like that plan, but, as fans know, sometimes coaches have to save players from themselves when it comes to their overall health. With these exhibition games carrying no weight whatsoever when it comes to what Dallas will look to accomplish once the regular season kicks off, letting Ferguson rest up now will pay off more for the Cowboys in the long run than pushing the former Pro Bowler to get back on the field this weekend.