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The Dallas Cowboys are approaching the first wave of roster cuts and one young tight end may be reaching the end of his rope in Dallas. Over the past two years, the Cowboys have seen plenty of turnover in the tight end group, and Peyton Hendershot could be the next player to depart.
On August 4, Blogging the Boys writer Jess Haynie released a new 53-man roster prediction. In the piece, Haynie predicts Dallas to retain Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and John Stephens as their TE group. Unfortunately for Hendershot, he is left on the outside looking in.
“To keep three QBs and six WRs we had to go shorter somewhere else, which cost Brevyn Spann-Ford his roster spot from the last projection,” Haynie wrote. “Dallas should be able to carry him and Peyton Hendershot on the practice squad and use them on game days as needed, plus Hunter Luepke can play as a smaller TE in certain packages.”
Haynie believes that the Cowboys TE could stick around in Dallas as a practice squad member. But that’s not a guarantee. If Hendershot is released, he can test the waiver wire and sign with a different team before the 2024 season.
Hendershot’s First Two Years in Dallas
After signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL draft, Hendershot quickly impressed. NFL teams are always in need of athletic, well-rounded TEs that look to win blocks. Hendershot quickly showed that ability and worked his way into a roster spot that year.
However, he still had receiving-focused TEs Dalton Schultz and Ferguson in front of him. According to Pro Football Reference, Hendershot was only targeted 16 times as a rookie. He caught 11 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.
All things considered, that’s a really solid year for a UDFA rookie. That being said, Hendershot still needed to take a step forward in 2023 and that didn’t happen. He only played in 8 games in 2023 and was targeted just 7 times. To make matters worse, the Dallas TE dropped two passes in those limited opportunities.
Young Cowboys TE Poised to Break Out
One of the reasons why Hendershot may be pushed out of Dallas is the rise of John Stephens. Stephens is a second-year TE out of Louisiana-Lafayette who missed the 2023 season with an ACL tear. But after recovering and showing out in the offseason, Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken thinks he could be a big part of the offense.
“The lack of receiver duality at the position should end in 2024. Stephens, a former wide receiver at Louisiana-Lafayette, can emerge as a dynamic complement to Ferguson. He caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in last year’s preseason opener before injuring his left knee in the second exhibition,” Gehlken wrote on July 12.
Gehlken also explains how Stephens has bulked up for his second season in Dallas. After reporting at 228 pounds for the Cowboys’ 2023 offseason, the 24-year-old is now weighing in at 242 pounds. In terms of completing the transition to TE from WR, Stephens appears to be taking the right steps.
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