Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is determined to get paid before he takes the field again for the Dallas Cowboys. The 2023 First-Team All-Pro is not reporting to training camp, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Lamb will be a free agent after this upcoming season and is therefore highly motivated to sign a new contract well before opening kickoff. Reports have indicated that the Cowboys planned to make an extension a top priority, but talks have dragged out for an uncomfortably long period of time.
With top receivers being paid throughout the NFL, Lamb is bound to feel a certain way, especially since he is coming off a career year. The 25-year-old totaled a league-best 135 receptions and ranked second in both receiving yards (1,749) and touchdowns (12) last season. Those type of contributions from a player of that age typically command substantial compensation.
The Cowboys can see a troubling financial dilemma looming ahead, however, as quarterback Dak Prescott and pass rusher Micah Parsons will both seek new deals as well. Breaking the bank for all three– following continued postseason failures– could be a bitter pill for owner Jerry Jones to swallow. His loyalty to homegrown talent has burned him before, but that is not a lesson fans want him to learn right now.
They desperately want to see CeeDee Lamb in action and operating at full capacity. Prescott can also be added to the top of that list.
How CeeDee Lamb holdout affects Dak Prescott, Cowboys
He has built an exceptional rapport with his No. 1 wideout, one that allowed both athletes to surge to never-before-seen heights. From a team and individual standpoint, the MVP runner-up needs a happy and locked-in Lamb.
Moreover, Prescott is playing out the final season of his contract without actively pursuing a new deal. Aside from his desire to bet on himself, a major reason for his compliance is likely because he expected the organization to resolve the Lamb situation.
Many have no-showed training camp to accelerate negotiations and ultimately secured their huge payday before the start of the regular season. The same is expected to result from Lamb's holdout, which will take effect on Wednesday. Still, the fact that pen has not yet been put to paper at this point is alarming.
The Cowboys, perhaps more than any other franchise, cannot afford for the focus to be off the field. The pressure for them to succeed in the playoffs will be suffocating regardless, but extra distractions will just make their already arduous climb unnecessarily steeper.
CeeDee Lamb is set to make just under $18 million during the 2024-25 campaign. If and when he inks a new deal, fans will be relieved to shift their attention back to the usual problems of big-game missteps and bold soundbites from their team's owner. You know, the good old days.
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