Jake Ferguson clears concussion protocol expected to play in Cowboys vs. Bengals

FRISCO, Texas — More firepower is on the way back for the Dallas Cowboys. They were able to shut down the New York Giants on Thanksgiving with the help of Brandin Cooks, his first game since landing on injured reserve this season, and they hope Jake Ferguson can have the same, or even greater, impact against Cincinnati Bengals.

The Pro Bowl tight end has officially cleared concussion protocol and will take the field Monday night to try to help extend the Cowboys’ winning streak to three after missing the previous two outings — both wins against NFC East foes.

Ferguson has been sidelined for a total of three games this season, the first due to a sprained MCL, but he is now fully healthy entering the final five games of the 2024 regular season.

That can only be seen as a huge positive for Cooper Rush and the Cowboys’ offense, given how dangerous Ferguson has proven to be, but also because his absence opened the door for both Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford to begin turning their respective corner.

With the emergency for the latter two, head coach and offensive playcaller Mike McCarthy will have that many more options for packages that include multiple tight ends, potentially without sacrificing the ability to have an extra pass catcher on the field; and without losing anything in the pass or run blocking.

Ferguson had a breakout season in 2023, and while he’s been slowed by an unsettled offense and some injuries this time around, there’s still a chance he’ll take over a game or two before this season is all said and done.