The Dallas Cowboys will kick off 2024 training camp on July 25. Just don't count on star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb showing up. Eligible for a long-term contract extension, team officials expect the 2023 NFL receptions leader (135) to stay away from all official Cowboys activities without a new deal in place, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
In fact, Dallas may not see him around the team for a while since owner and general manager Jerry Jones and his front office have not yet had substantive contract negotiations with their top playmaker this offseason, per the Dallas Morning News. Perhaps this is because Jones' and the team's efforts have been focused on quarterback Dak Prescott, who also enters 2024 in the final year of his current contract, a new deal.
Lamb, 25, has "been engaged" with the team this offseason, coach Mike McCarthy revealed recently. Still, the former first-round draft pick skipped all of Dallas' mandatory minicamp, absorbing more than $100,000 in fines after also forgoing the Cowboys' voluntary spring workouts. The three-time Pro Bowler is seeking a pay raise after a slew of fellow wideouts cashed in with lucrative long-term contracts this offseason.
Lamb is due close to $18 million in 2024 under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, but he's scheduled to hit free agency following the season. He could conceivably command at least $30 million per year on a new deal, with three other pass catchers -- the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson ($35 million), Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown ($32 million) and Detroit Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30 million) -- eclipsing that mark.
A two-time All-Pro honoree, Lamb logged a career-high 135 catches (the most in the NFL and a Cowboys single-season record) for 1,749 receiving yards (the second most in the NFL behind only Tyreek Hill and a Cowboys single-season record) and 12 receiving touchdowns (the third most in the NFL) in 2023, serving as a centerpiece of the Cowboys' offense.
