Mike McCarthy's New Comments Speak Volumes About Luke Schoonmaker

The Dallas Cowboys saw second-year tight end Jake Ferguson emerge as one of their top receiving threats last season. 

The Cowboys entered the 2023 campaign not knowing what to expect from Ferguson, who only had 19 receptions (22 targets) for 174 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2022. Veteran tight end Dalton Schultz was the Cowboys’ second-best receiver statistically with 57 receptions (87 targets) for 577 yards and five touchdowns.

However, with Schultz heading to Houston, it opened the door for Ferguson to take the TE1 spot and he didn’t look back, posting 71 receptions (102 targets) for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

Ferguson is firmly locked in as the team’s starting tight end, but the rest of the depth chart is still under construction. Last week at training camp, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that Ferguson is the “poster child” for the second-year jump and “established himself as the lead guy in that room,” per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

If the numbers that Ferguson put in 2023 are the high bar for players going into their second year, that doesn’t bode well for Luke Schoonmaker.

Schoonmaker was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and didn’t make a huge impact at all. The former University of Michigan standout produced eight receptions (15 targets) for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He played just 31 percent of offensive snaps. 

Those aren’t great numbers from Schoonmaker, especially when you saw what Ferguson did as a rookie. And his chances of taking a huge leap like Ferguson are slim, given that Dallas should have CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks leading the wide receiver unit.

However, the former second-round pick has a chance to change the narrative about himself with a strong preseason and training camp.

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