Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Latest updates for Cowboys' TE vs. Bengals

The Dallas Cowboys take on one of the NFL's most prolific offenses in the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. They will need all hands on deck to hang with the Bengals. CeeDee Lamb is good to go and getting Jake Ferguson back would be another huge boost.

Ferguson has missed the last two games with a concussion suffered in Week 11. His absence has allowed 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker to step into a prominent role. Much to everyone's surprise, Schoonmaker has been up to the challenge.

In two-plus games without Ferguson, Schoonmaker has caught 14 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. He's been a reliable outlet for Cooper Rush, catching nearly 73% of his targets. His emergence has been a sight for sore eyes, but Ferguson is the more dynamic player.

The Cowboys need Ferguson back and it pleases us to pass along that Ferguon has cleared concussion protocol and will play Monday night versus the Bengals.

Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson will play in Week 14 vs. the Bengals

Ferguson's return means Rush will have a full complement of weapons.

Ferguson hasn't been able to replicate the success of his breakout 2023 campaign. He's missed three games due to injury, but still ranks third on the team with 369 receiving yards and second with 43 catches.

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Like Schoonmaker, undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford has made the most of his opportunities with Ferguson sidelined. His stats are nothing crazy, but he's made some clutch grabs and has turned a corner as a blocker. He's posted a combined 72.2 pass-blocking grade and a 61.6 run-blocking grade over the last three weeks, per PFF.

Both Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford deserve playing time even with Ferguson returning. That is a great problem to have for head coach and play-caller Mike McCarthy. It allows him the option to deploy two or even three tight end packages. That can be beneficial both in the passing game and rushing attack.

Regardless, Ferguson could not have asked for a better runway to make his return. Entering Monday night, the Bengals have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends and their defense in general this season has been brutal against the pass. They've allowed the fifth-most passing TDs and sixth-most passing yards per game.

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