After learning earlier today that the Cowboys had yet to engage in “substantial” extension talks with CeeDee Lamb, the inactive negotiations have led to a holdout. “A person with knowledge” of Lamb’s thinking told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the player will not be reporting to training camp tomorrow. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has since confirmed the news. ESPN’s Todd Archer was first to report that the organization was “bracing” for a Lamb no-show when practices start on Thursday.
[RELATED: Cowboys Yet To Conduct ‘Substantial’ Negotiations With WR CeeDee Lamb]
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies that the two sides have indeed worked on a new deal, although it’s uncertain if that runs contrary to the aforementioned report of minimal “substantial” talks. The wideout will continue to face daily fines of $50K until he attends camp.
While Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all earned offseason extensions that will pay at least $30MM per year, Lamb is still attached to his $17.99MM fifth-year option. The Oklahoma alum did initially state an interest in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid wideout. It’s uncertain if he’s now pushing for Jefferson’s record-breaking $35MM AAV, but at the very least, he can point to the Vikings WR’s $110MM in guaranteed money.
Both sides always intended to see how the market played out, and recent reports indicated that the Cowboys were prioritizing a Lamb extension over deals for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Perhaps that report was a signal of things to come and the Cowboys read the tea leafs regarding Lamb’s impending holdout. Of course, this news also doesn’t come as a huge shock. Lamb had been a candidate to engage in a holdout for quite some time, considering he skipped voluntary OTAs as well as mandatory minicamp.
Now, the Cowboys will be engaged in a holdout for the second-straight training camp. Last year, Zack Martin held out as he pursued a new contract. The Cowboys ended up being the side to blink, as the organization turned the final two years of Martin’s contract into a fully guaranteed agreement. Lamb will obviously be seeking both guarantees and term on his next pact, and with Dallas having not guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing (while also holding the line on contracts spanning at least five years), it’s uncertain which side will relent. For what it’s worth, Ezekiel Elliott won his staring contest with the Cowboys back in 2019, with the running back earning a new contract that made him the highest-paid player at his position.
Lamb has been the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ passing attack since the team moved on from Amari Cooper in 2022. The 25-year-old is coming off a first-team All-Pro season (the first by a Dallas wideout since Dez Bryant), setting franchise records in receptions (135) and yards (1,749) along the way.