Jake Ferguson injury: TE currently feels 'zero pain' and is 'very optimistic' about bone bruise, MCL sprain

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson  rolled over and grabbed his knee after a two-yard catch with 6:35 left in the third quarter and did not return to the Dallas' 33-17 Week 1 win at the Cleveland Browns.. He finished with three catches for 15 yards receiving and thought his 2024 season was over. 

"The initial thought was [torn] ACL, and I think I was told that, and I kind of was like 'oh my God,'" Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson said Wednesday. "It kind of hit me. A couple of tears and then looked at it. Did a couple more tests and they were like 'it's not an ACL.' Thankfully just a little bone bruise and MCL [sprain]. You have the grades [of sprains], I don't even think it was a Grade 1. 

Happily surprising for the 25-year-old tight end considering he "heard a pop" when he went down to the ground on Sunday.

"The way it looked. I did hear a pop," Ferguson said. "That is the first time I ever had anything, and just talking to them and having all the specialists we have, guys with their knowledge. They were kind of like 'hey, we're worried about it, the way it looked looking back at the film.' Thankfully the man upstairs had a different plan and just lucky to not have that happen. I think my only thought was 'ACL, and if my ACL is good, I'm fine.' There's some stuff you can play though, and I'm one of those guys who if I can play through it, I'm going to go. At the same time, if I can't give this team by best, and I can't live up to the standard and play at the standard that we hold, then there's no point of me hurting this team in that sense. "

"I think we dodged a big one," quarterback Dak Prescott said postgame on Sunday when asked about Ferguson. "Talking to him, he gave me a lot of confidence that he'll be ok."

After the Cowboys returned home to Dallas, head coach Mike McCarthy received the official positive update about the 25-year-old's injury status. 

"Yes. Good news," McCarthy said Monday. "He'll be working with the return-to-play group Wednesday, so we'll see how that goes." 

McCarthy confirmed Ferguson remains "very optimistic" while practicing in the return-to-play group on Wednesday. 

"That's the plan," McCarthy said on Wednesday. "Feels good, he's very optimistic, just as you think he would be."

Ferguson tweeted out "God is good" Monday morning after reportedly undergoing an MRI. 

The call for whether or not Ferguson suits up in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saint at AT&T Stadium isn't his alone to make.

"I think it's a mix of them [coaches and medical staff]," Ferguson said. "If I go out there, and I'm working the trainers on stuff, and it doesn't feel right or I can't do one thing or the other that is going to lead me to not being able to do my job, then it's probably a no go. But if it's all good, and I'm feeling great, I'm not going to be the one who pulls back."

Sunday reiterated the tight end's long-term view that football isn't forever, which is why he soaks up every day in the NFL as "a blessing."

"This game [football] isn't loyal," Ferguson said. "It's never going to be loyal to you. You can give this game your all, and it can still hurt you and bite you in the butt. I try to come in here every day, each day is a blessing. Each day I get to come in here and do this. Someone wishes they were in my spot, and God gave me that blessing of not having a season-ending injury. I got to come in here and take every day by the horns. Appreciate every day."

Ferguson's job

Prescott having his top tight end is critical given his reliance on the position on throws over the middle, particularly in the red zone, since returning from his severe ankle injury in 2021. His 26 touchdown passes to tight ends since 2021 are the third-most in the NFL, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (36) and Jared Goff (29). 

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer touched on how Ferguson makes his impact felt whether it's as a blocker in the run game or by running routes in the passing game.

"Yeah, you know Fergie really can help us big time, both run and pass," Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday. "Another guy that I would say is an enforcer, a tough ass, a guy that's going to play violent, he's going to play physical. ... He just plays the game the right way. Another guy that being a coach's kid, being around and having his grandfather [former Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez]. The guy's been around the football field in the stadium his entire life. You can't discount what that means for a guy."

The tight end's body control is what excites Dallas the most when he turns into a route-runner for Prescott. 

"This guy gets football, he understands football, but [his] body control is unbelievable," Schottenheimer said. "Ball skills are unbelievable. He might argue this: he's not the fastest tight end in the league. Just the way he plays the game with his body control, his size, his ability to create separation to the route. He's just a dynamic weapon for us. Dak trusts him in tight spots."

Ferguson earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career in his second season in 2023 after being a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (129th overall). 

Jake Ferguson 2023 season (NFL ranks)

* Earned first career Pro Bowl selection

The Cowboys' next few days of practice will reveal whether or not Ferguson will be on the field at 1 p.m. for the home opener Sunday against the Saints. Laying on the ground in Cleveland, his immediate was "probably like a 10." As of Wednesday, Ferguson had an encouraging amount of pain in his knee.

"Zero."