Jake Ferguson

Jonathan Quinn "Jake" Ferguson^[1] (born January 18, 1999) is an American professional football tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Jake Ferguson

Ferguson with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2018
No. 87 – Dallas Cowboys
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1999-01-18) January 18, 1999 (age 26) Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	244 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:	Vel Phillips Memorial (Madison, Wisconsin)
College:	Wisconsin (2017–2021)
NFL draft:	2022: 4th round, 129th pick
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2022–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2023) First-team All-Big Ten (2021)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Receptions: 149 Receiving yards: 1,429 Receiving touchdowns: 7 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Ferguson attended James Madison Memorial High School now known as Vel Phillips Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin. He played wide receiver and linebacker in high school. During his career he had 1,795 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 314 tackles, five sacks and five interceptions on defense. He committed to the University of Wisconsin to play college football.^[2][3]

College career

Ferguson played at Wisconsin from 2017 to 2021.^[4][5] After redshirting his first year in 2017, he played in 47 games over the next four years, recording 145 receptions for 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns.^[6] As a senior he broke Lee Evans' school record for consecutive games with a reception.^[7]

College statistics

Season	Team	GP	Receiving
			Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
2018	Wisconsin	13	36	456	12.7	36	4
2019	Wisconsin	14	33	407	12.3	28	2
2020	Wisconsin	7	30	305	10.2	34	4
2021	Wisconsin	13	46	450	9.8	35	3
Career		47	145	1,618	11.2	36	13

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m)	9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m)	4.77 s	1.61 s	2.68 s	4.48 s	7.03 s	34.5 in (0.88 m)	9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)	15 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[8][9]

Ferguson was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round, 129th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft.^[10] In Week 6, he scored his first NFL touchdown on a seven-yard touchdown reception in the 26–17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.^[11] He finished his rookie season with 19 receptions for 174 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 16 games and eight starts.^[12] In the 2023 season, he recorded 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games and 16 starts.^[13] In the Cowboys' Wild Card Round loss to the Packers, he had ten receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns.^[14]

On July 27, 2025, Ferguson signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Cowboys, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season.^[15]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving						Fumbles
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	Y/G	TD	Fum	Lost
2022	DAL	16	8	19	174	9.2	30	10.9	2	0	0
2023	DAL	17	16	71	761	10.7	40	44.8	5	0	0
2024	DAL	14	14	59	494	8.4	25	35.3	0	4	2
Career		47	38	149	1,429	9.6	40	30.4	7	4	2

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Receiving						Fumbles
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	Y/G	TD	Fum	Lost
2022	DAL	2	2	1	34	34.0	34	17.0	0	0	0
2023	DAL	1	1	10	93	9.3	22	93.0	3	0	0
Career		3	3	11	127	11.5	34	42.3	3	0	0

Personal life

Ferguson's grandfather is former Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez; Alvarez was also an athletic director for the university.^[16][17]

Ferguson has been in a relationship with Haley Cavinder since 2023 and the pair announced their engagement in April 2025.^[18]