Getty Images Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is holding out for a new contract.
CeeDee Lamb may not be in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys but the star pass-catcher is still putting in work.
Lamb has been working out in Houston amid his holdout, per Jane Slater of NFL Network. Slater also reported a message from Lamb about what he’s looking for on his next contract.
“CeeDee Lamb on his contract: ‘it just has to make sense,’ according to a source informed. I’m told he’s 195-196 lbs. bigger faster and more explosive than previous years. I’m told he had a two hour workout and continues to fine tune the details of his game,” Slater said.
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He wants to be compensated like a top receiver in the league after watching contracts at his position skyrocket around the NFL this offseason.
Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, Miami Dolphins pass-catcher Jaylen Waddle and Detroit Lions standout Amon-Ra St. Brown recently signed big-money deals, ushering in a new era of lucrative receiver contracts.
Lamb was a first-round pick in 2020 and is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. He’s due to make $17.9 million on his fifth-year option.
Cowboys Have Had Negotiations With CeeDee Lamb
The contract talks with Lamb have not been a total non-starter. The sides have talked but clearly haven’t got close to what he thinks he deserves. Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said on Thursday, July 25 that both Lamb and defensive superstar Micah Parsons are eyeing record-setting deals.
“Both of them, rightfully so, believe they should be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league,” Jones said. “Totally respect that. So very difficult situations that we’re trying to work through with them.”
If Lamb is eyeing that number, it would have to surpass Jefferson, who is earning $35 million a year.
Spotrac’s market value for Lamb is a four-year deal worth $136 million. That put him around $34 million per season, on par with the top receivers in the league — but not the top.
Sitting out of training camp is hitting Lamb in the wallet. He can be fined up to $40,000 per day for skipping camp.
Cowboys Confident Dak Prescott Will Stick Around
The Cowboys have a variety of big contracts to figure out. Lamb, Parsons and quarterback Dak Prescott are all priorities for the team.
Prescott will be 31 next season and is coming off a Pro Bowl year. Last season, he passed for 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. The Cowboys feel Prescott can lead them to a Super Bowl but have yet to commit to him beyond this season.
Despite that, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made it clear to the media on Thursday that he believes Prescott will be with the Cowboys beyond this season.
“Do I think this will be (Dak’s) his last year with Cowboys? No,” Jones said. “Am I being psychotic relative to my mirror? No.”
Prescott’s tenure in Dallas has featured a lot of winning, with the Cowboys reeling off three consecutive 12-win seasons. However, playoff success has been hard to come by for Prescott and the Cowboys. Still, he may be in line for a contract that resets the quarterback market, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
“… the Dallas Cowboys are working hard to get Dak Prescott’s deal done. Prescott could be the first quarterback to break the $60 million-per-year barrier,” Russini said on July 24.
The Cowboys open the regular season on September 8 against the Cleveland Browns.