Gathers turned his lone target into a nine-yard gain during Thursday's preseason opener against the 49ers.
Gathers watched as the likes of Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz garnered more attention from the Dallas quarterbacks, waiting until the final drive of the game to garner his only reception. Even more discouraging for Gathers' case was that Geoff Swaim, the most experienced player of the bunch, didn't play in this one. The Dallas tight end battle remains open, but Gathers seemingly has a ways to go before the end of the preseason to claim a roster spot.