National Football League

Cowboys' Jake Ferguson avoids major injury, is week-to-week with MCL sprain

Published Sep. 9, 2024 1:04 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys avoided a significant injury following their impressive season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns.

Tight end Jake Ferguson suffered a bone bruise and a minor MCL sprain in the Cowboys' win, giving him the possibility to play in Week 2, according to multiple reports. His status is currently considered week-to-week, NFL Media reported.

"God is good," Ferguson wrote in a social media post shortly after Monday's news broke.

Ferguson went down with what initially appeared to be a serious knee injury in the third quarter of the Cowboys' 33-17 win. He landed awkwardly while trying to leap over Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks following a 2-yard reception, grabbing his knee after he landed. He immediately went to the locker room and didn't return.

Even though the injury appeared to possibly be a severe one, the Cowboys learned late Sunday that Ferguson's ACL was intact before he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday.

"I think we dodged a big one," Dak Prescott told reporters after the win.

The third-year tight end had a modest stat line Sunday, recording three catches for 15 yards, but there have been hopes Ferguson could emerge as one of the game's top TEs after an impressive 2023 season. The Wisconsin product, who the Cowboys selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, had 71 receptions for 762 yards and five scores last season.

Tom Brady: Dak Prescott is ‘field general every team is looking for'

Ferguson avoiding a major injury continued a string of good news for the Cowboys in recent days. In addition to having one of the largest wins in Week 1, Dallas agreed to a record-setting extension with Prescott just hours before Sunday's game, keeping its quarterback under contract for the foreseeable future. Prescott's extension came nearly two weeks after star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was extended as well.

Dallas will hope the good news continues against New Orleans on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

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