The Dallas Cowboys’ top receiver, CeeDee Lamb, has been holding out for a contract, and his most recent social media post has fueled rumors. On his Instagram story, the three-time Pro Bowler posted a picture of Spider-Man in a black outfit. Spider-Man is a superhero known for pursuing power at the expense of moral rectitude.
Many interpretations have been made of this post, including the idea that Lamb is alluding to his willingness to consider giving up football altogether or to negotiate more aggressively.
Lamb’s rookie deal is coming to an end this year, as the Cowboys have exercised their $17.9 million option for the 2024 campaign. In spite of this, Lamb’s total monetary compensation ranks him as the 22nd highest-paid wide receiver—a sum that is much less than what he could get on the open market, where he could potentially earn twice as much.
The current negotiations are under additional pressure because of this financial gap, since Lamb is probably looking for a longer-term contract that pays more.
When Cowboys owner Jerry Jones downplayed the seriousness of Lamb’s contract predicament on August 8, it sparked a social media response from Lamb and further inflamed the matter.
Even though Jones afterwards made an effort to allay fans’ fears by highlighting Lamb’s significance to the team and downplaying any urgent worries, the negotiations’ lack of movement has raised concerns.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington revealed that the Cowboys and Lamb’s camp are still at odds over important contract elements including guaranteed money, length of contract, and compensation, which further complicates things.
Though there is always hope that a settlement may be achieved swiftly, the lack of firm agreements on these important issues indicates that a resolution is not likely to happen anytime soon, which is likely to increase tensions as the regular season draws near.
Lamb may be trying to play hardball with the Cowboys and set himself up as the “bad guy” in order to gain more negotiating leverage, based on his cryptic post. By comparing himself to Spider-Man and his black costume, Lamb may be implying that he is willing to take a more aggressive and unyielding posture in order to get the contract he feels he is entitled to.
