Four years ago, the Dallas Cowboys made CeeDee Lamb the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s since become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Now the 25-year-old is coming off a career year that saw him reach All-Pro status, but he’s also headed into the final year of his contract.
Expectations are that the Cowboys won’t let their star receiver reach free agency next offseason, but if that’s the plan, the front office may want to agree on a new contract soon. Dallas begins their spring workouts on April 15, and as of now, Lamb isn’t expected to be in attendance.
Until Lamb receives long-term financial security in the form of a contract extension, he has no reason to participate in the team’s voluntary workouts. Even Lamb’s agent, Tory Dandy, wouldn’t respond to comments about whether his client would take the field during voluntary workouts later this month.
This comes as no surprise to the Cowboys who realize there’s a very real possibility Lamb holds out of practice until he signs a contract that makes him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL at the time of signing.
“Everybody goes about it a different way. We’ve had guys who have been around. [Ezekiel Elliott] was never around when he was wanting a contract. So, we’ve dealt with both.
“We respect Zeke, but you prefer that they’re around when they’re under contract. It’s part of the business. You don’t love it, but it’s part of the business.”
Dallas Cowboys VP Stephen Jones on potential CeeDee Lamb holdout
For now, Lamb is due $17.99 million on his fifth-year option, but expectations are that Lamb will receive a salary that averages over $30 million per season once he and the Cowboys find common ground.
While he will be able to get away with skipping voluntary workouts in April without repercussion, the mandatory June minicamp will be a different story.
Yet, the Cowboys won’t be spending all their time preparing for the NFL Draft once June rolls around, so it’s possible Lamb signs his extension with Dallas over the next couple of months.
The Cowboys can fine Lamb up to $101,716 for missing the entire three-day minicamp that runs from June 4-6. Yet, as Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News notes, Lamb could always decide to ‘hold in’ by reporting to the team facilities, but not actually participate in practice until his extension gets finalized.
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