When they kick off in Week 1 four months from now, the Dallas Cowboys figure to have three, maybe four tight ends on the roster. They know that star Jake Ferguson, who is still getting back to his Pro Bowl form, will be one of them. And the Cowboys seem to like the blocking and playmaking that Brevyn Spann-Ford can bring. Who else sticks in that open roster spot–or two–remains a mystery.
The fact that we have to ponder that mystery just three years after the Cowboys used a second-round pick on Luke Schoonmaker, though, speaks volumes about his place within the team. There were hopes that Schoonmaker could team with Ferguson to give Dak Prescott a dynamic playmaking duo from the tight end spot, but that’s never really developed.
Depth in front of him as well as his own underperformance have limited Schoonmaker to just 438 career yards on 49 catches in his three NFL seasons. It’s a key year for Schoonmaker, as he has one more chance to prove his worth before he hits free agency, but whether he lasts that long is uncertain, too.
Luke Schoonmaker ‘Going All Out’ in 2026
This week, Cowboys beat writer Joseph Hoyt caught up with Schoonmaker, who told him that Dallas’ coaches emphasized to him that he should make more of an attempt to use his speed to get upfield and make plays, working as the big seam threat the Cowboys have been lacking.
Schoonmaker told Hoyt his shaky NFL future is a motivator: “Big time. Making sure I’m doing everything to the best of my ability and making the tweaks that I have and putting it all into this year. Like, going all out and giving it everything.”
Of course, it is fair to wonder why, exactly, Schoonmaker was giving less than his all before now, but maybe that’s just semantics. Point is, he knows well that tight ends are replaceable and that he has not yet done enough to earn his spot.
Cowboys Have Rookies Challenging Luke Schoonmaker
Indeed, there will be challengers aplenty for Schoolmaker. The Cowboys did not draft a tight end, but may have done one better, when they gave their two biggest undrafted free agent bonus deals to draft-worthy tight ends who were not picked–DJ Rogers of TCU and Michael Trigg of Baylor.
Trigg’s hands and athleticism make him an especially enticing prospect.
“We’ve all seen the highlight reel catches and things that he did at Baylor—it’s impressive,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “You talk about a guy that can stretch the field vertically, and make game-changing ‘wow’ type plays attacking the middle of the field.”
Cowboys Last Chance
It was always supposed to be Schoonmaker making those ‘Wow’ catches for the Cowboys. Now, though, there is speculation that he won’t make the team, that the Cowboys will cut him–or find a trade for a late-round pick for him–by the end of camp.
As the Cowboys site Inside The Star noted: “The Cowboys are going to have to make some cuts later this summer, and if Trigg keeps it together and continues to ball out, Schoonmaker time as a Dallas Cowboys will come to an end.
“Maybe this will backfire, but Luke just has not done enough in three years to be worth a roster spot when you have a guy like Trigg who can produce a much higher level if he keeps himself together off the field.”
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