Week 1 is quickly approaching and the Dallas Cowboys still don’t have superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in their building.
Lamb missed all of the preseason holding out for a new contract. The sides appear to be getting closer to an agreement but the clock is ticking.
“I think there’s urgency on both sides. Just once again, I mean, this is business,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said on Saturday, August 24. “What goes on there is really between the individuals in the room. But yes, I think everybody involved wants to get it done.”
Lamb has been preparing on his own for the season. The team is confident that he’ll be in shape when he returns, but plans need to be put in place to ensure Lamb is ready to roll for the opening kickoff — if a deal gets done.
“You got to have a healthy plan. Yeah, definitely [some concern],” McCarthy said. “We’ve got to be smart there and just use good judgment. And that’ll be the case. But yeah, I think it’s just the reality of where we are. So, we’ll deal with it one day at a time.”
CeeDee Lamb Breaks Silence With Video Amid Cowboys Holdout
Lamb has been quiet during his holdout. However, the three-time Pro Bowler sent a message through a video he posted on social media.
“Still waiting on that phone call, but until then we grind,” Lamb said in the video. “Control what I can control and that’s to be the best version of me.”
Dallas’ latest reported offer to Lamb is approaching $33 million per year, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. That would make him the second-highest-paid receiver, behind only Justin Jefferson ($35 million).
The Cowboys have some work to do, and they’re trying to find the “sweet spot” with Lamb.
“The stage is set for Dallas to place an urgency on Lamb, the wide receiver,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday’s SportsCenter. “To get that deal done it’s going to cost them well above $30 million per year. CeeDee Lamb’s trying to get as close as he can to that Justin Jefferson market of that $35 million a year. So, they’re trying to find a sweet spot on all of those points.”
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Unwilling to Give Update on CeeDee Lamb
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has given sporadic updates on the contract talks with Lamb, often expressing optimism. However, his tone changed on Sunday when asked about his Lamb.
“I don’t have any updates but we are near the season starting,’’ Jones said. “Listen, we got a lot of things to talk about. I’m only talking about who’s here.’’
The Cowboys have called the negotiations with Lamb challenging, pointing out that they’re also trying to get deals done with Dak Prescott and star linebacker Micah Parsons. All three will likely become the highest-paid players at their positions on their new deals.
“We’re trying to, a little bit, play Houdini in how to keep all these guys around Dak and keep these players we were fortunate enough to draft,” Jones said on the Snoop City podcast in July. “When you start stacking them up like that, it’s a challenge. Not that it’s not doable, but you certainly have to have some give and take if you want to do that. There’s no excuses, but we think we can get this done. We know we can get it done. It just takes time.”
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns.
