Cowboys Coach issues five-word message regarding CeeDee Lamb’s holdout
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had little to say about CeeDee Lamb’s absence, which began during required minicamp workouts.
“CeeDee’s not here today, so,” McCarthy replied during a news conference on June 5, 2024, when asked if the squad expected Lamb to join them.
McCarthy later described Lamb as “engaged” with the organization throughout the offseason, despite the contract dispute, but declined to expand further.
It’s unclear whether Lamb would attend training camp if an agreement isn’t negotiated, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter claims that the Cowboys can punish the star wideout more than $100,000 if he misses the next mandatory minicamp sessions. According to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, Lamb’s fifth-year option on his rookie deal allows him to waive fines for skipping offseason work.
Lamb signed a four-year, $14 million rookie contract, and the Cowboys exercised the wide receiver’s fifth-year option for $17.9 million in 2024. As things stand, Lamb will be a free agency in 2025, but Dallas also possesses the franchise tag, which it may use to keep the wideout if no long-term contract is agreed.
Lamb is coming off a season in which he led the league with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards. He has an average of 78.0 yards per game during his career, with 102.9 yards per game last season alone.
Vikings Receiver Justin Jefferson May Have Raised CeeDee Lamb’s Market Value
On June 3, Minnesota Vikings standout Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract, resetting the NFL receiver market. Lamb might earn a comparable price, with Spotrac estimating a four-year, $136 million contract.
Josina Anderson, a CBS Sports insider, said in post to X, “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.”
Lamb and Jefferson have both been in the NFL for four years and are three-time Pro Bowlers. Lamb has three more career receptions and four more touchdowns than Jefferson, but Jefferson has 754 more yards.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Noncommittal on CeeDee Lamb’s Future in Dallas
Lamb is coming off a season in which he broke franchise records for receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,749), boosting his worth to the Cowboys.
Earlier this summer, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones admired Lamb’s performance but openly questioned if signing the star to a contract extension was worth the possible cost.
“He’s out there, and he’s more valuable than anybody else,” Jones told Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com on March 26. “But that valuable, having to give up four or five guys to obtain him, you have to reconcile that. That is what I am trying to communicate. It’s far quicker and easier said than done.”
Jones also stated that there is “not necessarily” an order in which extensions are completed on his club, but failing to complete Lamb’s agreement before Jefferson’s might result in Lamb’s price increasing even further.