Cowboys' Jake Ferguson looks to build off of 2023 breakout year

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson had a breakout season in 2023, establishing himself as the unquestioned No. 1 tight end on the roster.

Now, entering his third season in the NFL, after hauling in 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 and earning a Pro Bowl nod, Ferguson believes he is just scratching the surface and has plenty of room for improvement.

"To me, I think I'm not even scratching my surface," Ferguson said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "There's so many things that I want to get better at and I know I can get better at. We watch film every day of different games, even the practices we're doing now and I'm like, 'OK, I can get a lot better still.'"

Ferguson recorded just 19 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season. But now that he has shown what he can do, the Cowboys are hoping for consistency.

He participated in the Tight End University program led by Greg Olsen, George Kittle and Travis Kelce, and tight ends coach Lunda Wells hopes that can help bring the level of consistent all-around production that can lift Ferguson into the ranks of the elite players at his position.

"The great ones play consistently on a high level every year throughout their careers," Wells said. "The [Jason] Wittens of the world. The Kelces of the world, so you want to be able to chase that consistency and play great every year. I think that might be one of the things he's focusing on, 'Hey, anybody can do it one year, but can I do it every year?'"

Ferguson understands the high expectations after his breakout year, so don't expect him to slow down anytime soon.

"In this league you can't be complacent," Ferguson said. "You've got to just keep going. You've got to keep getting better and that's what I aim to do."

Dallas will kick off its 2024 campaign on Sunday, September 8, on the road against the Cleveland Browns. Tom Brady will be making his broadcasting debut for the game on FOX.

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