CLEVELAND — Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson left Huntington Bank Field on Sunday with the help of trainers after suffering a left knee injury, but there are signs that he won’t miss significant time, according to his quarterback.
Dak Prescott said in his news conference after a 33-17 rout of the Cleveland Browns that he spoke with Ferguson and came away encouraged.
“I think we’ve dodged a big one,” Prescott said. “Obviously, he’s got to get some X-rays tomorrow, but just talking to him, he gave me a lot of confidence that he’ll be OK. He’ll be able to respond. Whether it’s nothing or whether it’s a couple weeks, I can’t even think about what we’d miss from that guy.”
Ferguson left the locker room with ice wrapped around his knee, and coach Mike McCarthy said testing Monday will determine the extent of the injury.
He suffered his injury on the third quarter after hauling in a short pass from Prescott near the Cowboys’ sideline. Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks zoomed in to wrap his arms around Ferguson’s legs and yanked the tight end to the ground.
After the play, Ferguson struggled to climb to his feet and was unable to put weight on his left knee. Cowboys trainers quickly surrounded him and helped him to the locker room, where he remained for the rest of the game.
Ferguson finished his day with three catches for 15 yards.
Last season, he ranked second on the Cowboys last season with 761 receiving yards and solidified himself as Dallas’ clear-cut top option at his position. Luke Schoonmaker, John Stephens Jr. and Brevyn-Spann Ford are less proven tight ends below Ferguson on the depth chart, but Prescott’s expecting that the Cowboys won’t be without their starter for long.
“He’ll be fine,” Prescott said. “He gave me good news, so I’m just going to try to think on that and get him healthy and get him back out there as quick as we can.”
Linebacker Eric Kendricks, who left Sunday’s game briefly, said he suffered from cramps but recovered quickly.
