Jerry Jones didn’t have a sense of urgency about getting a new contract done with CeeDee Lamb while the team was in California for five weeks of training camp. But the Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager clearly wanted it done before the regular season started.
Lamb and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $136 million deal that includes a record-setting $36 million signing bonus, meaning Dallas will have its top offensive playmaker when the team travels to Cleveland for Week 1, league sources told The Athletic.
Lamb’s deal makes him the NFL’s second highest-paid wide receiver, trailing only Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. The Vikings and Jefferson agreed to a four-year, $140 million deal with $110 million guaranteed in early June. Lamb was entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. That doesn’t mean he would’ve hit free agency in March if a deal was not reached. The Cowboys could have used the franchise tag, something that would’ve likely angered Lamb more than he was a few weeks ago.
Jones and Lamb made headlines on Aug. 8 when Jones told reporters that he didn’t have a sense of urgency about getting a deal done. Lamb responded to Jones’ comment via X by posting “lol”. Jones attempted to clarify his comments three days later on the team’s pregame show before their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
“I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you’re anxious about (something) and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not,” Jones said at the time. “Well, CeeDee, you’re missed.”
Jones was not concerned about Lamb missing camp because he knew the 25-year-old was staying in top shape while working out with his own trainers. To Jones, Lamb wasn’t going to play in the preseason and his absence provided more opportunities during camp for wide receivers Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin and Ryan Flournoy to get work with quarterback Dak Prescott and the starters.
Lamb has consistently improved in each of his previous four seasons in Dallas, elevating himself into the NFL’s top wide receiver conversation. His targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns have increased every season since the Cowboys drafted him 17th overall in 2020.
Season by season: CeeDee Lamb
| YEAR | G | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | YPC | YPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2023 |
17 |
181 |
135 |
1,749 |
12 |
13.0 |
102.9 |
|
2022 |
17 |
156 |
107 |
1,359 |
9 |
12.7 |
79.9 |
|
2021 |
16 |
120 |
79 |
1,102 |
6 |
13.9 |
68.9 |
|
2020 |
16 |
111 |
74 |
935 |
5 |
12.6 |
58.4 |
The three-time Pro Bowler and 2023 first-team All-Pro led the NFL in targets (181) and receptions (135) last year. He finished second in the league in receiving yards (1,749) and receiving touchdowns (12).
Now that the business side is completed, the Cowboys have to be somewhat cautious about Lamb doing too much too quickly. The last thing they need is their star receiver suffering any type of soft tissue injury.
Cowboys veteran No. 2 wide receiver Brandin Cooks has said that he doesn’t think Lamb missing time will lead to any issues.
“He’s the best receiver in the league for a reason,” Cooks said. “I played with a guy in Aaron Donald, who if I’m not mistaken, didn’t come to camp three years in a row and won Defensive Player of the Year. And (Lamb’s) that good as a receiver.”
Lamb’s quarterback shares similar feelings.
“He’s talented,” Prescott said early in camp. “He works hard. He’s special. He’s the best receiver in the league for a reason. And I’ve seen Instagram videos. I know you’ve seen him. He’s working. And he works hard. So I have no angst, no worries about when he gets here that we’re not going to pick up where we left off.
“And when you’re a stud like that and you’re smart like he is and you’re good at communicating, that makes that process that much easier. So it’s not like we’ve got to build something. We’ve got that. We just got to reignite it when he gets here.”
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(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
