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Players craft their legacies and earn their paychecks based on how they perform during the big moments, but respect can be truly forged by how they carry themselves in the seemingly insignificant ones. Just hours after the Dallas Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention, a banged-up CeeDee Lamb embodied remarkable persistence and leadership.
The star wide receiver pushed through his lingering shoulder injury and continued to take the field with his teammates, finishing with seven receptions for 105 yards in Sunday's riveting 26-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lamb inflicted nearly all of his damage in the first half, but his insistence to gut out the obvious pain will make fans even prouder to wear his No. 88 jersey.
“My shoulder is outta whack, I'm not gonna even lie to you,” the 2023 All-Pro told the media, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “I'm just out there battling and doing what I do. It's not fun… I love this game that much. I'm literally willing to put my body out there on the line for my guys.”
CeeDee Lamb believes his dedication should be unquestioned
A wide receiver's innate and intense desire to have the ball in his hands has led to the term “diva” being frequently used to describe the position. Lamb's own heated sideline exchanges have convinced many people that he is deserving of that label, but through his fierce commitment to the 7-8 Cowboys, the 25-year-old is showing the public what genuinely fuels him on the gridiron.
Although he values the green like everyone else, his competitive fire burned blindingly bright in AT&T Stadium in Week 16.
“I feel like now I've kinda went way past the narrative of the money situation,” CeeDee Lamb said, referencing the perception many had of him during his lengthy contract holdout. “I do it for the money, of course, but it's way more than that. … I'm living my dream. For anyone that's thinking that I'm (only) playing for the money is kind of insane.”
Cowboys are showing their passion
The No. 17 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft will now force fans to think twice when doubting his devotion to the Dallas locker room. He has cleared the obligatory top receiver benchmarks, accruing 101 catches and 1,194 yards in 15 games, but his tenacity is making just as loud of a statement.
The Cowboys are in a tough spot entering the offseason, as they fall alarmingly far from the NFL's upper echelon. Though, on the heels of a hard-fought victory against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, this franchise is arguably exhibiting the very traits it has been accused of lacking in recent years. In a twist of irony, is it possible that America's Team is actually turning a corner when the stakes are at their lowest?
Fans do not care how a breakthrough happens. They will celebrate this supposedly “meaningless” outcome if the Cowboys evolve next season. And they will extol Lamb as a catalyst of change.
