The history of the Dallas Cowboys is full of legends. From Hall of Famers to short-time All-Pros, there’s no doubt that this franchise has produced some of the best players in NFL history, and one of those positions is tight end.
Tight ends are a vital part of any championship team. They have to be good at blocking and catching. It may be easy to pick the best player in Cowboys history, but it’s hard to rank them beyond that. Still, there are many players on this list that most fans are familiar with.
Stats play a big role in these rankings, but so does success: receiving yards and touchdowns are valuable, but how that performance contributed to a team’s chances of winning a title is also crucial.
Individual honors such as All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors are also factored into the rankings, as are longevity and notable performances.
Most fans may not remember the name, but Bjornsson was Jay Novacek’s backup during the Cowboys’ Super Bowl run in 1995. He barely saw the field as a rookie, but flourished as Novacek’s career drew to a close.
The 1997 season was Bjornsson’s best season with Dallas. He played in 14 games and recorded over 400 yards receiving. That season marked the official downfall of the Cowboys dynasty as the team finished 6-10. Bjornsson played his final game in New England after two years with Dallas. He never replaced Novacek, but he did win a Super Bowl ring and earn his place on the list.
This may come as a surprise, as his career is still in its infancy. Jake Ferguson already ranks ninth in receiving yards among tight ends in Cowboys history. Ferguson’s potential has skyrocketed since he earned the starting spot last season. As a fourth-round pick, the Cowboys are already getting great value on him.
Ferguson only had 171 yards receiving and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2022, but he had moments that made people think he could be a starter. After Dalton Schultz left the team, he became one of Dak Prescott’s primary targets. Ferguson threw for over 700 yards and five touchdowns last season and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. His career is still early in his career, but he’s already a top-10 statistical tight end in franchise history, which is huge for this ranking.
Fugett is 12th all-time in receiving yards by a tight end, but was a big part of the team’s offense when it reached the Super Bowl in 1975. Signed as an undrafted free agent, he joined a team already loaded with talent, and although he only had 20 catches over his first three seasons, Fugett came into his own.
In 1957, he had his best season with Dallas, starting 9 of the team’s 14 games and recording over 400 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. Though he didn’t receive any acclaim in Dallas, his success there was the start of a solid career. After that season, he played for the rival Washington Redskins and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1977. Despite his success with his next team, Fugett’s rise from undrafted free agent to starter and Pro Bowl earned him a spot on this list.
If someone asked, “Who was the Cowboys’ first great tight end?” the answer would be Pettis Norman. He is sixth on the Cowboys’ all-time receiving list for tight ends. Like Fugett, Norman was an undrafted free agent. He was born just two years earlier and joined the Cowboys in 1962 when the franchise was still in the process of being built.
1964 was his best season. He earned a starting spot and recorded 311 yards receiving and three touchdowns. These may not be great numbers, but keep in mind that the tight end position was not yet widespread. Norman helped Dallas establish itself as a high-scoring team on offense, with talented players like quarterback Don Meredith and receiver Bob Hayes. He helped Dallas come close to the Super Bowl twice against the Packers. After Dallas, he moved to San Diego, but he helped turn the Cowboys franchise into a legitimate championship contender in the 1970s.
Yes, Mike Ditka. Before leading one of the greatest defensive teams in NFL history, he was a longtime tight end. After spending the majority of his career in Chicago and Philadelphia, Ditka was looking for another chance to play for a championship. Then, with the arrival of Tom Landry, that opportunity presented itself.
Ditka joined Dallas in 1969, on the brink of a Super Bowl appearance. He recorded 200 yards receiving in his first year, but had a limited role in 1970. The Cowboys lost to the Colts in Super Bowl V, and in 1971 the quarterback was replaced by Roger Staubach. Ditka had his best season with Dallas, setting franchise records with 30 catches as a tight end and receiving for 380 yards. The highlight of the season was catching a touchdown pass in Super Bowl VI, his first and only championship as a player. Ditka’s short tenure in Dallas, which led to him becoming an assistant coach under Landry and then a Hall of Fame head coach, makes him a good choice for this list.
Schultz may be catching for C.J. Stroud in Houston right now, but he wouldn’t have gotten that contract without his strong start in Dallas. Schultz didn’t see the field much in his first two years, but he was thrust into the lineup in 2020 after Blake Jarwin missed the season. He flourished with over 600 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
Schultz’s best season came the year after he became a full starter. His 808-yard, 8-touchdown season helped lead the Cowboys’ offense back into championship contention. Schultz had another outstanding season in 2022, but the Cowboys chose not to re-sign him in free agency. He racked up 2,122 receiving yards with the Cowboys, ranking fifth statistically in receiving yards by a tight end in Cowboys history. Schultz deserves the credit for his work in Dallas, despite his comments this offseason.
Dupree was the first tight end the Cowboys ever spent a high draft pick on, taking him in the first round in 1973 as the team was looking for a starter of the future, and they certainly found their man in Dupree.
After his first three seasons, Dupree became one of the best tight ends in the game, helping Dallas reach four Super Bowl appearances. He played a big role on the 1977 team that won the franchise’s second title. Although it wasn’t his best season statistically, Dupree still recorded over 300 yards receiving and three touchdowns and earned himself a spot in the Pro Bowl. Dupree continued to be a key part of the passing game in the early 1980s until his retirement in 1984. As a tight end with a Super Bowl ring and an 11-year career with Dallas, Dupree deserves to be in the top five on this list.
Dupree’s counterpart in the latter part of his career was Doug Cosby, who was drafted in the third round in 1979 to replace Dupree. The Cowboys made the right choice considering how much Cosby contributed throughout his career, as he is the second-leading tight end in team history in yards rushing.
After serving as Dupree’s backup for the first few years of his career, Cosby became a starter in 1983 when Dallas was still a championship contender. He was selected to the Pro Bowl that year and recorded 700 yards receiving in two consecutive years in 1984 and 1985. Cosby was arguably the first Cowboys tight end to become a frequent, reliable option in the passing game. He developed into a position where he could perform well outside of wide receiver. Cosby played until 1988 but never won a championship ring. That may have been the case, but his longevity and statistics make him the third-best player in the team’s history.
Jason Witten is the Cowboys player you want to root for. A third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2003, he spent his first few seasons under Dan Campbell’s tutelage but quickly became an All-Pro. While the Cowboys were still struggling to find playoff success in the mid-2000s, Witten was selected to the Pro Bowl every year from 2004-2010. He was also named All-Pro in 2007 and 2010.
Witten had already had a Hall of Fame-caliber career and was recognized as one of the best tight ends in football. He played 16 years in Dallas and came out of retirement in 2019 to play one more season. Statistically, Witten is the No. 1 tight end for the Cowboys, but he only won the playoffs twice in his career. His lack of postseason success isn’t his fault, but it cost him the top spot on this list. There’s no doubt Witten will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, but like other greats like Kellen Winslow, he never won a ring.
There’s no question that Jay Novacek is the best tight end in Cowboys history. He has it all: All-Pro, Pro Bowl, three Super Bowl rings. After the Cardinals let him go, Novacek found a new life in Dallas. He arrived in 1990, when Jimmy Johnson was still putting together the personnel for his new team.
Novacek became a weapon in the passing game alongside Michael Irvin, earning Pro Bowl selections every year from 1991 to 1995. He was named All-Pro in 1992, and Dallas won three Super Bowl trophies in the 1990s. Troy Aikman has often said that Novacek was one of his most reliable targets, and the numbers speak for themselves. His final season saw him throw for over 700 yards and five touchdowns, most notably in Super Bowl XXX, a touchdown that was his best record. Considering all the accolades and success Novacek has garnered, it would be hard to name anyone higher on this list.
Rank
player
Years with the Cowboys
Receiving Yards
1.
Jason Witten
2003 to 2019
12,977
2.
Doug Cosby
1979 to 1988
3,728
3.
Jay Novacek
1990 to 1995
3,576
Four.
Billy Joe Dupree
1973 to 1983
3,565
Five.
Dalton Schultz
2018 to 2022
2,122
