CeeDee Lamb is waiting for the Dallas Cowboys to offer him a new contract. Speaking about CeeDee Lamb’s absence, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said little as the wide receiver started to rebel during obligatory minicamp drills.
When asked if the club expected Lamb to be with the squad during a June 5, 2024, press conference, McCarthy responded, “CeeDee’s not here today, so.” Despite the contract staredown, McCarthy later said that Lamb remained “engaged” with the team during the offseason, but he would not go into greater detail.
If an agreement is not agreed, it is unclear if Lamb would report to training camp. However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have the option to punish the star wideout more than $100,000 if he skips any more of the required minicamp sessions.
However, Lamb is playing under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, which waives penalties for missing offseason practice, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com. After Lamb finished his $14 million rookie deal, which lasted four years, the Cowboys chose to pick up his fifth-year option for $17.9 million in 2024.
As things stand, Lamb would become a free agency in 2025, but Dallas also owns the franchise tag, which the team may apply to keep the wide receiver in the event that a long-term contract is not agreed upon.
Lamb recently finished a season in which he had the most receptions (135) and total yards (1,749), leading the league. Throughout his career, he has averaged 78.0 yards per game; in just the previous season, he had 102.9 yards per game.
The Market Value of CeeDee Lamb May Have Increased Due to Vikings Receiver Justin Jefferson On June 3, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract that completely reset the NFL receiver market. Given that Spotrac projects Lamb’s market worth to be a four-year, $136 million contract, Lamb might command a price tag comparable to that.
“I’m told talks between the #Cowboys and WR Cee Dee Lamb are expected to’speed up’–beyond its previous pace–since ‘there’s at least a number’ with the announcement of #Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s record-setting non-quarterback contract extension today, per source,” wrote CBS Sports insider Josina Anderson on X on June 3. Both Lamb and Jefferson are three-time Pro Bowl players who spent four years playing in the NFL.
While Jefferson has 754 more yards than Lamb, Lamb has three more career catches and four more career touchdowns.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Noncommittal on CeeDee Lamb’s Future in Dallas
Lamb’s worth to the Cowboys has increased even more as he finished the season with franchise records for receiving yards (1,749) and receptions (135).
However, Cowboys general manager and owner Jerry Jones acknowledged Lamb’s output earlier this offseason, publicly questioning if signing the player to a contract deal would be worth the possible sacrifice.
Jones clarified on March 26 that “he’s out there and he’s more valuable than anybody else,” according to Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com. “However, you have to make peace with the fact that he is so valuable that you have to give up four or five guys to get him. That’s my main point here. Saying something is much easier stated than done.
Although Jones added that there is “not necessarily” a set order for which extensions are completed by his team members, failure to complete Lamb’s deal before Jefferson’s could result in Lamb’s price increasing even more. Veteran sports writer Jonathan Adams writes about golf, the NFL, and the NBA for Heavy.com. Numerous publications, including NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated, have highlighted his work.
