CeeDee Lamb

DE Micah Parsons To Return In Week 10

November 9th, 2024 at 8:32pm CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 9: Parsons will indeed return to the lineup on Sunday, Schefter’s colleague Todd Archer reports. While Dallas will be without Prescott against the Cowboys – and quite possibly the rest of the season – the team’s defense will receive a major boost with Parsons back in the fold.

NOVEMBER 4: The Cowboys had a rough Sunday as injuries affected the availability of newly paid offensive stars Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. With news that Prescott’s injury would likely result in a multi-week absence, the Cowboys should feel some relief to hear that their defensive star, Micah Parsons, could be gearing up for a return this week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Back after a Week 4 win over the Giants, the Cowboys saw Parsons suffer a high ankle sprain. While they initially looked at a then-approaching 10-day break between games with optimism, it quickly became apparent that Parsons’ injury was worse than expected. Further tests revealed a more realistic timeline of two to four weeks. Five weeks and four missed games later, Parsons is finally rumored to be ready for a return. Schefter quotes a source who claims Parsons “should be back” this weekend for a divisional matchup against the Eagles.

Like Prescott, Lamb was also injured yesterday, but it appears that the star wideout will avoid missing any time. Todd Archer of ESPN reports that Lamb was dealing with an AC joint issue in his right shoulder during yesterday’s loss to the Falcons.

While the injury caused Lamb to miss some snaps, he was able to return to the field and play through the issue, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. WFAA’s Ed Werder confirmed that Lamb’s MRI results today were encouraging and that, based on his ability to play through the injury, Lamb may not miss any time. He’ll undergo treatments throughout the week to determine his status for this Sunday’s matchup with Philadelphia.

The 2024 season has not gone according to plan so far for the 3-5 Cowboys. Perhaps with Parsons returning to the field, a defense that’s allowed the sixth-most points in the NFL can start to find its stride. Lamb likely won’t be rushed back with Prescott on the bench, but if he’s able to play safely with no risk of furth injury, expect Lamb to be out there as a reliable target for Cooper Rush.

Cowboys Activate WR CeeDee Lamb

September 7th, 2024 at 3:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys recently extended wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136MM deal that gave him the second-highest annual average at the position in the NFL behind only Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. It wasn’t smooth sailing to get there, though, as the negotiating process saw Lamb miss nearly all of the preseason as he held out to influence his new contract.

As a result of Lamb’s holdout, the Cowboys placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list upon signing his extension. This exempt list is usually reserved for players in unique situations, allowing a team to retain that player without needed to utilize a roster spot on them.

For Lamb, his placement was the result of his holdout. Dallas was granted a two-game roster exemption with his placement on the list, meaning the Cowboys could keep him there through Week 3, if necessary, without him counting towards their 53-man roster. This would allow Lamb to get back up to speed after not participating with the team throughout training camp and the preseason. Instead, the Cowboys will waste no time, activating him from the exempt list in time for Week 1.

In addition to this roster addition, Dallas has also opted to promote linebacker Nick Vigil as a standard gameday practice squad elevation. A former full-time starter for the Bengals, Vigil’s role in the NFL has diminished over the years. If he sees game action tomorrow, it will be a regular season appearance with the fifth team of his career.

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Was Unwilling To Sign Extension In 2023; Details On New Deal

September 1st, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

Cowboys brass has been criticized for waiting too long to pull the trigger on extensions for some of their star players, which has caused them to pay top-of-the-market prices when those extensions finally come to fruition. Owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones faced the same criticism in the aftermath of the recent mega-deal they authorized for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

If the Cowboys had extended Lamb last year, they may not have had to go to the same lengths ($34MM per year, $67MM in practical guarantees) to secure his services for the foreseeable future. Of course, it takes two to tango, and Stephen Jones recently told Albert Breer of SI.com that Lamb simply was not going to sign a new contract in 2023, when he was first eligible for one.

Indeed, it was reported last July that Dallas was hoping to hammer out an extension for Lamb prior to the start of the 2023 season. At the time, Tyreek Hill‘s contract with the Dolphins was the only WR pact that featured an average annual value of at least $30MM, though that deal was famously bloated by a non-guaranteed salary in its final year that pushed the AAV to the $30MM mark. Even if Lamb was able to secure a more “genuine” $30MM/year accord back then, he chose to bet on himself while allowing the rising tide of the receiver market to continue lifting his boat.

Not only did Lamb turn in the finest season of his young career in 2023 — he posted a 135/1,749/12 slash en route to First Team All-Pro honors — he watched as fellow wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson further expanded the upper reaches of the contractual landscape for wide receivers (a few weeks before Lamb put pen to paper, Hill also agreed to a restructure that landed him the most guaranteed money added to a contract without new years also being added).

Lamb is now second only to Jefferson in terms of AAV and guaranteed money. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the full details of the Lamb contract, noting that it is a clean, simple deal that does not include any of the “funny money” that artificially inflated the value of Hill’s original contract.

As was previously reported, Lamb will net a $38MM signing bonus, and his $1.15MM base salary for 2024 and $26.85MM base salary for 2025 are both fully-guaranteed at signing, as are his $1MM in per-game roster bonuses for 2025 (though those bonuses must be earned). Lamb’s $25MM base salary for 2026 is presently guaranteed for injury but will become fully-guaranteed in March 2025, and $7MM of his $28MM base salary for 2027 is currently guaranteed for injury; that figure will become fully-guaranteed in March 2026.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details Lamb’s salary cap hits in each year of his contract. He will count just $8.75MM against the cap in 2024, but that number will jump to $35.35MM in 2025.

Jerry Jones: Cowboys “Don’t Need” To Extend Dak Prescott Before Start Of Season

August 28th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Ben Levine

CeeDee Lamb got his wish for a new contract, but Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is still set to play the 2024 campaign on the final year of his deal. Neither side has showed much urgency in completing an extension, and owner Jerry Jones seemed to acknowledge that a new contract was unlikely to be completed before Prescott and the Cowboys take the field for Week 1.

“We don’t need to get this done before the season,” Jones told Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS last week. “We just don’t need to get it done before the season. Because it’s in all of our interest, Dak and everybody, to have a great season. And as a matter of fact, that’s probably not realistic to think before the season. But my thought sitting right here is we’ll have Dak [as Cowboys quarterback in 2025 and beyond]. But all I’m gonna say is this: it’s not done yet.”

Logically, the Cowboys wouldn’t have invested so much money in a wideout without a plan to retain their franchise quarterback. While the two extensions may be mutually exclusive for the front office, Lamb’s new deal will probably have little impact on Prescott’s stance, and it’s seeming increasingly likely that the QB will play out the 2024 season on his current pact. While there’s a bit of risk from the Cowboys’ perspective to let this play out, but Jones still expressed optimism that Prescott will remain under center for 2025 and beyond.

“I think I am. I am,” Jones said of his confidence about an eventual Prescott extension. “But I understand completely. I understand our challenge. But confident is not a word for me here. I feel that I think that we can do it. We have not figured it out yet.”

With Prescott likely pushing for an average annual value of at least $55MM (and potentially north of $60MM), the organization will likely have to tighten the belt elsewhere on the roster. Jones is already preparing for the fallout from a Prescott extension, and the owner seemed to warn fans that a lucrative QB deal would mean concessions elsewhere on the roster.

“I’m looking at having less supporting cast around him than he’s had any time in his career,” Jones said. “He’s going to have to make up for that and some because we haven’t gotten to the games we want to be playing in. … And he’s going to have to do it in the future with less of a supporting cast. That’s what I’m fighting for. … What kind of supporting cast can we have around Dak? I know you understand that. Do our fans? Do our fans know that Dak is going to have less of a supporting cast than his career has allowed him to have up until now.”

Prescott is currently set to earn $34MM in cash this upcoming season. The organization could look to reduce his $55.13MM with an impending extension, although that would likely kick even more money down the road. The Cowboys front office clearly has to juggle multiple considerations as they navigate negotiations, and it sounds like they may just be willing to play out the 2024 campaign before biting the bullet.

Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Agree On Extension

August 26th, 2024 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

At long last, the Cowboys have a deal done with one of their contract-year cogs. The team has reached an agreement with CeeDee Lamb, ending his holdout.

Dallas is giving Lamb a four-year, $136MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. This gives Lamb a $34MM AAV, which puts him between Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. The fifth-year Dallas standout is now the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver. Lamb secured $100MM guaranteed on this deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This gives him considerable separation from Brown in terms of wideout guarantees.

This comes after a Monday report indicated the Cowboys had again upped their offer. Making a few proposals over the past several weeks, Dallas had previously come in with a deal worth just less than $33MM per year. Lamb’s camp moved the team to this $34MM-AAV point, where NFL.com’s Jane Slater notes they have been for a while. Team Lamb did well to capitalize on the 2020 first-rounder’s monster season and the salary cap’s recent spike. The NFL now has five $30MM-per-year receivers, with the market moving many times after the ceiling did not budge in 2023.

The Cowboys were at $32.5MM for a while, per Slater, and then moved to $33MM per year. After an off-an-on stretch for a few weeks, this process gained steam beginning Saturday. Lamb is still finalizing language, per Slater. Barring a Randy Gregory redux, this contract should be done Tuesday. The Cowboys can waive the fines Lamb incurred during his holdout due to the receiver being previously tied to a rookie contract.

Lamb emerged on the Cowboys’ extension radar last year, but the team followed the Vikings in waiting. Jefferson created a gap between himself and the field with his four-year, $140MM pact, and he set the Lamb market in the process. The Eagles had given Brown a three-year, $96MM deal in April, with Lamb’s 2020 draft classmate topping that by a notable margin. The Cowboys were understandably hesitant to give Lamb a deal that make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, and a report soon indicated the Oklahoma alum was not mandating that. Though, he came awfully close on this deal — one that puts Dallas in a new guarantee sector regarding a non-QB payment.

The Cowboys came into camp with one of the more complex contract quandaries in recent NFL history. Dak Prescott remains unsigned, and Micah Parsons fully expects to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when his payday arrives. The Cowboys may well table that to 2025, a prospect Parsons sounded fine with when he addressed the matter earlier this summer. This offseason represented Lamb’s window to cash in, and the Cowboys have their top weapon signed through the 2028 season.

The Cowboys’ previous WR guarantee high-water mark came in at $60MM — Amari Cooper‘s 2020 deal. The Eagles guaranteed Brown $84MM, and the Cowboys have signed off on Lamb bridging the gap to Jefferson’s record-smashing $110MM number.

It will be interesting to see how this contract is structured, as the Cowboys have escaped making good on a guarantee for a receiver in the recent past. But the team bent on its usual term-length preference by agreeing to a four-year Lamb re-up. The Cowboys generally prefer five- or six-year extensions, but the receiver market is flooded with high-end deals for three or four years. This undoubtedly factored into Lamb’s talks.

The Cowboys fully guaranteed Cooper $40MM and escaped needing to pay him the additional $20MM by trading him to the Browns in 2022. Lamb’s future contract factored into that decision, and while the Cowboys have seen the Cooper trade hurt their receiver situation as a whole, their 2020 first-rounder has dominated with Cooper in Cleveland. Lamb, 25, posted 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 and then dropped a record-setting Cowboys showing. He led the NFL with 135 receptions last season, totaling 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in that banner campaign. It is difficult for a receiver to make a better case for a long-term payment, and Lamb’s camp took care of him months later.

Lamb broke Michael Irvin‘s single-season franchise reception record by 24 and eclipsed the Hall of Famer’s yardage record by 146. These new standards, of course, came in a 17-game season during an era that features higher pass-game usage and friendlier rules for offenses. But Lamb still submitted a statement season to prove worthy of a top-market extension. This now shines a brighter light on Prescott.

Dallas could have franchise-tagged Lamb in 2025, cutting into his leverage a bit. But the team’s hands are tied with Dak, who cannot be tagged or traded. Prescott has continued to say the right things regarding a long-term future in Dallas, but he holds leverage — which also includes a whopping cap number ($55.13MM) and 2025 dead money penalty ($40.13MM) if not extended — comparable to what Kirk Cousins possessed back in 2018. The Cowboys will have a difficult time extending Prescott, but less than two weeks before the regular season, they do have one of their pillars signed.

Lamb’s $17.99MM cap number, as Schefter reports a receiver-record $38MM signing bonus (which will spread out the All-Pro’s cap hits) is present in this accord, figures to drop on this deal. Though, the Cowboys now face the prospect of needing to give Prescott an NFL-record contract to pair with Lamb’s big-ticket deal — and Parsons’ future market-setting pact — or face an uncertain future at the game’s premier position.

Jones has encountered criticism for letting the Cowboys’ contract quagmire reach this stage. Lamb would have come cheaper had the Cowboys made an aggressive push to finalize a deal last year, though it is not exactly certain he would have checked in too much cheaper. Tyreek Hill was tied to a $30MM-per-year deal, leading the way entering this offseason. With Jefferson always poised to take the market toward or into the mid-$30MM-AAV range, Lamb — who, like Jefferson, is five years younger than Hill — would have always commanded a contract north of $30MM per year. That said, the Cowboys probably would not have needed to go to this guarantee place had they done a deal in 2023.

Questions also remain about the Cowboys’ auxiliary receivers beyond 2024, but they have their WR1 locked in. This follows the accords for Cooper, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, keeping the Cowboys’ run of extending cornerstone receivers intact. Prescott, however, continues to test the organization here.

Cowboys Increase Offer To WR CeeDee Lamb

August 26th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys have a number of key roster decisions to make over the coming days, but the status of CeeDee Lamb is another situation to monitor. The All-Pro receiver’s holdout continues, but Dallas has made an upgraded offer.

The Cowboys’ latest submission carries an annual average value above $33MM, Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS.com reports. That marks a notable update from the latest offer, one which fell short of that mark. Still, it is another sign of traction being gained as Dallas looks to bring Lamb into the fold in time for Week 1.

As Hill adds, the newest offer is also four years in length. The Cowboys have traditionally favored longer term on monster extensions, but four years has become the preferred length for many high-profile players when they agree to second contracts. Lamb is attached to his fifth-year option for this season, so an extension of that length would keep him in place though 2028. Working out an agreement would take care of one of the Cowboys’ major contract situations.

Dak Prescott is a pending free agent, though he is set to begin the season with his contract as is. The 2023 MVP runner-up is open to negotiating in the fall, and that may be necessary given the limited time remaining between now and Week 1. $60MM per season could be the price point needed to keep Prescott on the books long term, but in any event cost certainty with respect to Lamb will be key as Dallas navigates negotiations with Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons.

Justin Jefferson took the receiver market to new heights with a $35MM-per-year Vikings pact. A.J. Brown (Eagles) sits second in AAV at the position, but signs have long pointed to a Lamb accord splitting the pair. The 25-year-old skipped OTAs and minicamp before electing to remain away from the team during training camp. The latter decision has led to daily fines, but Dallas will have the option of waiving those once a deal is in place. A final agreement could be coming soon if this upgraded offer sparks positive negotiations.

Latest On WR Contracts

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The regular season draws ever nearer, and there are still three receivers who are waiting for new contracts. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are still holding out from team activities, while Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is continuing with his hold-in.

Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie contract on a fifth-year option and, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the 25-year-old is angling for a contract to rival Justin Jefferson‘s recent deal in Minnesota. This doesn’t necessarily refer to annual average value, but focuses, as well, on guarantees, cashflow, and overall structure. Dallas and Lamb are expected to communicate this weekend as they attempt to get this extension over the finish line.

Chase is still not practicing as he attends team events in Cincinnati. The Bengals have exercised Chase’s fifth-year option, so the 24-year-old still has two years left on his rookie deal. While he hopes to enter the season with a new extension, his former LSU teammate, Jefferson, had to wait until after his fourth NFL season to secure his bag. It’s looking like the same might be true for Chase, but if that’s the case, Cincinnati needs to figure out a way to get Chase on the field and ready for the fast-approaching regular season. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network sees this coming week as a crucial time for the team to navigate this situation.

With Aiyuk, the rumors continue to swirl and paint an unreliable picture. Last night, in an interview on KNBR, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle claimed that “everything is still on the table, including all the trades you’ve heard about.” He noted the Steelers and Commanders as teams not to rule out but left the picture as cloudy as ever.

After the team’s initial contract offer fell short of expectations, they attempted to bring Aiyuk back in to try and close the gap. Garafolo reports that the two sides don’t seem to be that far apart on contract figures anymore, and Aiyuk even traveled with the 49ers to their final preseason game in Las Vegas. While this may be a sign of good faith and a sign that the things could be on their way to a resolution, Silver’s comments still leave plenty of room for doubt.

The NFL season starts in 13 days. In order for these three receivers to be on the field for Week 1, they’re either going to need to have new contracts in hand or they’re going to need to come to terms with the fact that they’re going to be playing under their current deals with no guarantee that they won’t be testing free agency in the future. While most teams prefer not to have contract discussions during the regular season, there’s always a possibility that close negotiations bleed over a bit into September and deals are reached midseason.

Latest On Cowboys’ Contract Holdups

August 21st, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones is starting to tip his hand. All offseason, we have watched the market for quarterbacks and wide receivers be reset as other teams across the NFL pay their players, some of whom were not free agents and still had time left on their contracts. All the while, Dallas has been negotiating, leaving quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and outside linebacker Micah Parsons as some of the few players with unresolved contract issues.

In an interview today, Jones clued us in as to why the Cowboys seem to be resting on their laurels while the rest of the league signs their players. DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Harris provided the full quote.

“Well, again, we’re just continuing to talk,” Jones started before getting to the point at hand. “The thing is there, since we’re really (nearing) in-season, practicing, doing all those things, we’re operating under the existing contract really good.

“One of the things that the fans should really understand is that, nine times out of ten, these are existing contracts that you have in place. You should be able to operate under those, but we’ve gotten it now in the NFL — other teams are dealing with it — with some time on the contract, you still might have a contract discussion. And that’s what we’re doing. None of us — player or team — want to hurt the preparation or likelihood of playing at your best.”

There it is. It’s seemed as if the Cowboys are sitting on their hands in terms of extending their three stars because Jones seemingly wants the players to honor the remainder of their contracts before taking extension conversations seriously. On its surface, this seems like a reasonable expectation, until the flipside shows teams cutting veterans with multiple years left on their contracts because they don’t want to be beholden to the cap figures they agreed to.

It’s strange to see Jones play ignorant to the concept that there is value in keeping your star players happy by offering them security and a raise above what they are already owed. One of the league’s most-talented defenders, Parsons is set to be paid as the 76th highest-paid edge rusher (in terms of annual average contract value) in the NFL in 2024. He’ll receive $2.99MM in cash this year. Lamb is set up a little better with his fifth-year option paying him $17.99MM this year, though that amount would qualify as the 25th-highest annual average for receivers in the league.

Prescott is rightfully content to play out the 2024 season on his current deal, as he’ll receive $34MM in cash this year, but one might think that his $55.13MM cap hit in 2024 might encourage Jones to work out a new deal to reduce his cap impact. The team has already shoveled $54.14MM of Prescott’s cap numbers into future void seasons, so perhaps Jones is hesitant to dig the future hole even deeper.

Jones already voiced a lack of urgency in extending Lamb. The holdout receiver could do nothing but laugh on social media as a response. Jones’ comments today concerning Prescott’s situation indicate more of the same. While other teams are attempting to stay ahead of the ever-inflating contract numbers around the NFL, Jones is keeping his wallet closed for now. Jones even blamed some of his tight-purse tendencies on the NFL’s DirecTV case that could involve a large payout from the league.

Regardless, it seems evident that, at the very least, an extension for Prescott will not likely occur before the start of the regular season. Parsons seemed to be on a lower priority level than Prescott, so he will likely have to wait, as well. As for Lamb? He continues to hold out as offers are proffered and rejected. While media pundits seem to think that Lamb will be out there for Week 1, Jones’ continued nonchalance in negotiating could end up forcing Lamb to continue his holdout into the regular season.

Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Getting Closer To Deal

August 20th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Contradicting reports from three days ago, Adam Schefter of ESPN seems to be of the opinion that the Cowboys and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are closer to a new deal than recent reports seem to indicate. In an appearance on the network’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Schefter voiced his belief that a deal would get done before the start of the new season.

Lamb has been spending his time away from the team as one of several premier wide receivers seeking a new deal this offseason. The former first-round pick is set to play out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and while that entails a fully-guaranteed salary in 2024 of $17.99MM, the Oklahoma-product knows that the real money lies in a multi-year extension.

There have been conflicting reports about just how much Lamb is seeking in a new deal, with some claiming that the 25-year-old is seeking to reset the market for the position, following Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, whose new deal sees him making $35MM per year over the next four seasons. Regardless of his expectations and those of the Cowboys, Schefter sees the two agreeing on a contract.

“I think the two sides aren’t that far apart on a deal,” Schefter told McAfee. “I don’t think it should be that difficult, but again, it’s (Tuesday), August 20, he’s still not there, still hasn’t gone through camp, so this has not gone the way that everyone expected. My understanding is that the two sides aren’t all that far apart, and somehow, someway, I and others believe that they will figure out a way to bridge their differences so that CeeDee Lamb will be there for Week 1.”

When asked about the ongoing holdout of his star wide receiver, Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones told the media that the two sides are having “promising talks,” per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Jones’ comments seemed to echo the sentiment spoken by Schefter.

After the team recently made an offer that would see Lamb become the league’s second-highest-paid receiver behind Jefferson, Jones spoke on his optimism, saying, “Well, I think I am, and when I say that, it doesn’t sound too promising. The facts are that I believe we’ll come together. I don’t want to speak for him–that’s what I’m trying not to do–but we wouldn’t have offered him what we’ve offered him if we didn’t want him to be here.”

It’s a lot of talk for a team that has seemingly been ice cold in recent weeks concerning key player contract negotiations, but combined with Schefter’s comments, Jones’ optimism may be worth buying stock in. With his holdout affecting season preparedness, Lamb’s deal will be a huge weight off the team’s shoulders, but Dallas will still have the extensions of quarterback Dak Prescott and outside linebacker Micah Parsons to contend with.

Cowboys, WR CeeDee Lamb Not Close To Extension Agreement

August 17th, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

In recent days, the Cowboys have made renewed efforts to hammer out a CeeDee Lamb extension. The latest update on one of the team’s three key extension situations indicates plenty of work is still required.

Dallas has reportedly offered a deal worth more than A.J. Brown‘s Eagles pact ($32MM per season) but short of $33MM annually. The top of the receiver market reached $35MM when Justin Jefferson inked a record-breaking Vikings extension this offseason. Jefferson now resides as the league’s top earner for non-quarterbacks, although a Lamb deal may not need to surpass that mark.

Nevertheless, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes the AAV of the Cowboys’ best offer to date is one of several issues which need to be worked out (video link). Matters such as cashflow and guarantee structure – in addition to an elevated AAV – remain points of contention where further negotiation will be required for a deal to be in place. An agreement for Lamb may be closer than one for quarterback Dak Prescott, but Garafolo’s report confirms there is still a gap to be bridged between team and player.

One of several wideouts seeking a new or upgraded deal this offseason, Lamb skipped out on OTAs and mandatory minicamp. His decision to remain away from the team during training camp has resulted in mandatory fines accruing, but the 25-year-old is attached to his rookie contract by way of the fifth-year option. As a result, those penalties can be waived by the Cowboys if/when a deal is struck and Lamb reports to the team.

Jefferson’s monster accord features nearly $89MM guaranteed, far more than the second-highest in that regard (Tyreek Hill, $54MM). Lamb will likely fall in between those two figures on his pact, but the Cowboys’ best offer in terms of locked in compensation apparently needs to be upped for an agreement to be possible. Money in the first few years of the pact (especially the signing bonus) is also a critical component for team and player; the size of the signing bonus and the length of the contract are central in determining cap hits.

Managing to keep Lamb, Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons in the fold beyond 2024 will be a key challenge for the Cowboys. The terms of a pact for each member of that trio – which, in the latter’s case will likely not be known for another year, in spite of team’s public stance on that front – will dictate Dallas’ cap outlook for the foreseeable future. Getting Lamb in the fold in time for Week 1 remains the expectation, but an agreement may not be as imminent as it previously seemed.

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