Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is one of the primary reasons they head into Week 18 against the Washington Commanders with a good shot of clinching the NFC East title.
Lamb, 24, has been absolutely dynamic en route to earning his first ever starting nod for the Pro Bowl. He heads into the regular-season finale having tallied 122 receptions for 1,651 yards and 10 touchdowns for the 11-5 ‘Boys.
As good as Lamb has been this season, his emergence into a legitimate star could also have wide-ranging NFL salary cap implications. A first-round pick out of Oklahoma back in 2020, he’ll enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2024 after the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option.
Lamb is set to count $17.99 million against the cap. In a vacuum, that number isn’t an issue. It’s all about a potential long-term contract Lamb could ink in the offseason, one that he wants.
“Ideally, yeah, for sure,” Lamb told reporters on Thursday when asked if he wants to be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. The former Sooners star did make sure to let reporters know that his goal right now is to bring a Super Bowl to Big D. “After that, then we’ll start talking,” he said.
For a Cowboys team that has not been in a great cap situation over the past several years, this promises to get tricky from a financial perspective. Owner Jerry Jones’ decision to push back large cap hits into the future on restructures as a way to remain cap compliant will come back to haunt the Cowboys at some point.
In addition to Lamb looking for a new deal, star defender Micah Parsons will become eligible for an extension for the first time in his career this coming offseason. That doesn’t even take into account likely contract talks surrounding star quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
Related: CeeDee Lamb could demand $30 million annually on new contract
CeeDee Lamb contract talks with Dallas Cowboys
Lamb and the Cowboys engaged in extension talks last offseason. Nothing came to fruition on that end. With Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson also in line for a record-breaking contract, things are not as clear-cut as they seem.
Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins is the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL at $30 million per season. Las Vegas Raiders’ Davante Adams comes in second at $28 million. Both signed their deals back in 2022. Market dynamics and an increased salary cap suggest that Jefferson and Lamb will receive more than both on a per-year basis.
None of this is to say something can’t be worked out. Again, it complicates things.
Dallas is expected to be an estimated $11 million over the 2024 NFL salary cap. It is paying out large sums to veteran players, too.
- Dak Prescott: $59.46 million
- Zack Martin: $28.5 million
- DeMarcus Lawrence: $20.45 million
- CeeDee Lamb: $17.9 million
- Trevon Diggs: $16.26 million
Related: Dak Prescott and the NFL’s highest-paid QBs
Dak Prescott contract extension, Micah Parsons situation will be key
Lowering Prescott’s figure for the 2024 season will change the dynamics. At this point, he’s expected to become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL during the offseason. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz believes that the per-year floor on Prescott’s next contract will be $55 million.
Even with this as the price point, Dallas could save well north of $50 million against the cap in 2024. It would back load the large cap hits to later years when the NFL revenue increase from its television/streaming packages impact the salary cap the most.
For his part, Parsons is said to potentially be looking at quarterback money. Said extension would be similar to what reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa signed with the San Francisco 49ers back in September. That is to say, $34 million annually.
Jerry Jones and Co. paying out their three-best players a combined $114 million on a per-year basis moving forward wouldn’t be the exception to the rule. But they will have to get creative.
For now, Lamb and the Cowboys only care about that one goal. Making it to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII and hoisting that Lombardi Trophy. After that, it’s all business.