The Dallas Cowboys have a talented group of pass catchers, but one of them may hit the road before the 2024 season begins. Tight end Peyton Hendershot is in his third offseason with the Cowboys, but it could be his last.
It’s one of the consequences of having a talented roster. But Hendershot could be surplus to requirements, and that’s why Blogging the Boys writer LP Cruz believes he is a trade candidate.
“What works in Hendershots’ favor is he is an athletic, receiving tight end with a pass-catching upside, making him an appealing option to potential suitors. The downside is that he’d compete with John Stephens, who boasts a similar athletic profile. Trading Hendershot wouldn’t be to acquire draft capital but to acquire a prospect to fill a need. For example, Dallas could trade Hendershot for a linebacker or reserve offensive linemen,” Cruz wrote on June 17.
Hendershot is currently shooting to be the team’s No. 3 TE, behind Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker. While he is still absolutely in the running for that, the fact that the Cowboys now have another athletic prospect in Stephens means they could “cash out” on Hendershot and get something in return.
Hendershot Deals with Injury in 2023
After a promising first season with Dallas, fans were optimistic about Hendershot heading into 2023. While he would have to contend with Ferguson and Schoonmaker for playing time, he was coming off a three-touchdown season that the former Indiana Hoosier catch 11 passes for 103 yards.
However, injury wrecked Hendershot’s 2023 campaign. In Week 3, he suffered an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve a couple of weeks later. He missed 9 games until his return in Week 14.
While that’s a bad beat for the 25-year-old, things only got worse with his performance. On just 7 targets, Hendershot dropped two passes. For a player that is trying to earn a bigger role with the team, those kind of things can’t happen.
The No. 1 thing working in Hendershot’s favor is that he’s cheap. Signing as an undrafted free agent, the Cowboys legitimately can’t find a player for the same price as Hendershot. However, the problem is that Stephens is also on a similarly frugal contract.
Cowboys TE Wants Big Jump After Pro Bowl Campaign
Dallas fans were focused on Ferguson heading into 2023, and for good reason: he needed to step up and replace Dalton Schultz. One year and a Pro Bowl nomination later, it’s clear he was ready for the challenge.
According to Pro Football Reference, Ferguson caught 71 receptions for 761 yards and 5 touchdowns. It was a drastic jump from his production in 2022, and now Ferguson wants to make another big jump in 2024.
“I need to make that exact same jump [as last year], but make it even bigger,” Ferguson said according to DallasCowboys.com. “In this league, you can’t get complacent. You’ve got to keep getting better, and that’s what I intend to do. We’ve got great vets in our facility — Brandin [Cooks] and Dak [Prescott] — and they teach you how to take care of your body and how to take care of your mind as you start to get older.”
