Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson pens emotional reaction to girlfriend Haley Cavinder's retirement from basketball

Jake Ferguson has been better known for being Haley Cavinder's girlfriend than for his on-field plays for the Dallas Cowboys. But as she prepares to leave basketball, he cannot help but reminisce on her highly accomplshed career.

On Tuesday, the Miami Hurricanes star guard revealed the decision on Instagram:

"18 years later, and it's time to say goodbye to the game I’ve loved since I was six. Thank you for an amazing basketball career. Nothing will ever fill the void of you or the feeling of accomplishing my dream — playing the sport I love with my twin by my side.

"It's hard to express how much this sport has impacted and changed my life, but it will always be a part of who I am."

In response, the one-time Pro Bowl tight end wrote on Instagram Stories:

"Helluva career 1-4. Honored to have been able to witness greatness"

Jake Ferguson reacts to Haley Cavinder's retirement, vis Instagram Stories/@jakeferg84

The two were first linked together in September 2023, when fans spotted Cavinder wearing Cowboys memorabilia, including Ferguson's No. 87 jersey. In a YouTube Q&A she co-hosted with her twin sister Hanna four months later, Haley said:

“He likes to say I DM’d him, but I didn’t. I was in Fort Lauderdale at the time. He has a place in Florida as well, and we went on a date and just kinda met up — and then hung out for 10 days straight.”

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Jake Feguson expected to bounce back in 2025, says positional coach

2023 was a dream season of sorts for Jake Ferguson, and not just because he started dating Haley Cavinder. He also set career-highs in every relevant statistical category: 71 receptions, 761 yards, and five touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl.

But then he hurt his knee in the first game of 2024 and regressed to 59 catches for 494 yards and no touchdowns while also sustaining a concussion along the way. He also suffered four fumbles (two of them lost), as the Cowboys missed the playoffs at 7-10.

However, the team’s tight ends coach Lunda Wells is confident that he will regain his health and form in 2025. He said last week:

“Last year was an unusual (one) for us, it was unusual for him... So the biggest thing is just getting back on the horse, taking care of your body, and just putting your best foot forward this coming offseason to prepare you for the season.”

Ferguson is entering the last year of his current contract. He will earn $3.263 million in base salary, plus a $176,221 proration.