Cowboys fans hold their breath as rising star suffers horrific injury against Browns

The Dallas Cowboys stepped up the pace against the Cleveland Browns and the fans are starting to sweat. After leading 27-3 at halftime, Dallas' offense stalled. Fortunately, Mike Zimmer's defense was up to the challenge.

The Cowboys were expected to win comfortably once their offense got going, but the positive mood vanished in an instant after up-and-coming tight end Jake Ferguson suffered a nasty injury in the third quarter.

Ferguson's left foot was caught under a Browns defender during a tackle. His left foot twisted awkwardly and he was in visible pain before limping to the sideline. At first it looked like an ankle injury, but the 2023 Pro Bowler held his knee as he got up, which is never a good sign.

Ferguson was escorted straight to the dressing room.

The video shows Ferguson walking to the dressing room under his own power. While it's encouraging that Ferguson wasn't carried off the pitch, walking away doesn't mean he's out of the woods. There have been numerous cases over the years of players being diagnosed with a serious injury despite barely limping.

The real sign of optimism is that Ferguson was not ruled out immediately. At the time of writing, Ferguson's return is in doubt. Players being ruled out within minutes of an injury is usually a bad omen.

It was by no means an unfair tackle, but the defender lunged at Ferguson's lower leg. With his ankle trapped underneath, Ferguson was unable to break his fall and landed awkwardly on his knee. You can watch a clip of the injury at this link.

Ferguson, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has already proven himself to be one of the game's best young tight ends in his second season, catching 71 passes for 765 yards and five touchdowns, finishing in the top 10 in all categories and being named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl.

In addition to being a dynamic playmaker, Ferguson has an infectious personality off the field and his bulldog attitude on the field has made him a popular player among Cowboys fans.

As we wait for news on Ferguson, Cowboys fans are hoping and praying it's nothing serious. He's an invaluable asset to the offense. A potential time off would force Luke Schoonmaker, John Stephens Jr. and undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford into bigger roles.

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