FRISCO, Texas — While answering a question about his team’s tight ends Monday, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer shifted the spotlight to a player more commonly known as a fullback.
“You guys see the way we’re using Hunter Luepke,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, Hunter Luepke does not get enough credit for what he does for our offense.”
If it’s true that Luepke deserves more attention, Schottenheimer and coach Mike McCarthy seemed determined to give it to him during their news conference Monday. And, the two coaches said, Luepke’s presence could grow even more important in coming weeks after an injury to a teammate.
Starting tight end Jake Ferguson departed Sunday’s season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns with a left knee sprain. McCarthy said Monday that the Cowboys received “good news” from Ferguson’s MRI, indicating that he sidestepped a significant injury.
Ferguson will work with the “return to play” group of Cowboys at practice Wednesday, according to McCarthy, leaving opening hope that he could suit up for a Week 2 contest against the New Orleans Saints.
Even so, Dallas will need to develop a plan in case the injury keeps Ferguson sidelined for a game or longer. The other tight ends on the roster, all still unproven in the NFL, include Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford and John Stephens Jr.
And while those players could help replace Ferguson, McCarthy instead pointed to Luepke.
“I think the guy you put in the front of the line there is Hunter,” the coach said.
Luepke made the Cowboys’ roster in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State and began filling the hybrid H-back role on the offense. That means Luepke often lines up in the backfield and acts as a lead blocker on running plays, like a traditional fullback. But he also can play as an in-line tight end to seal an edge, pass protect or run a route.
On the roster, Luepke’s listed as a running back. He spends most of a typical practice with the tight ends. And his 6-foot-1, 238-pound frame looks like that of a linebacker.
Whatever his label, Luepke’s impressed Cowboys coaches with his versatility through 17 career games, and McCarthy suggested Dallas could tweak its plans for Luepke to allow him to take on some of Ferguson’s duties.
“Hunter’s a very flexible player for us,” McCarthy said.
Luepke does not have a skillset that makes him likely to replicate Ferguson’s prowess as a pass-catcher. Last season, Ferguson ranked second on the Cowboys with 761 receiving yards, while Luepke finished the year with five catches for 36 yards.
But McCarthy and Schottenheimer indicated that Luepke could thrive with added blocking responsibilities, which would help fill a crucial gap in Ferguson’s potential absence.
“This guy, I think, is a steal, [considering] we were able to get him where we got him,” Schottenheimer said of Luepke. “This guy, he is physical. He loves contact. He’s a low-leverage player. And it’s not just the initial strike, it’s the ability to sustain and stay low with leverage and strain and knock people back.”
Schottheimer said the Cowboys called a run play Sunday with Luepke on the field, and even though he hadn’t practiced the play, he made a key block to open a running lane. The coaches believe they can plug Luepke into multiple situations on the field and trust him to shine.
“He just goes out there and does it right,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s so much value in that.”
If Ferguson’s not on the field Sunday, perhaps Luepke’s value will rise even higher. Maybe then he’d start to reel in the credit Schottenheimer believes he’s owed.
