CeeDee Lamb's Contract Holdout: Cowboys Owner Not Pressed, Lamb Responds with a Laugh

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is holding out of training camp for a new contract, but team owner Jerry Jones is not in a hurry to get a deal done. Lamb is making his intentions clear by not being present for voluntary workouts, mandatory minicamp, and now training camp.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has held out of the team's training camp so far this summer while negotiating a new contract. Lamb seems to take lightly the thought of that holdout lasting a bit longer.

CeeDee Lamb's Contract Holdout: Cowboys Owner Not Pressed, Lamb Responds with a Laugh

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave an update to reporters about Lamb's contract negotiations on Thursday, suggesting it wasn't an urgent priority.

"I don’t have any urgency to get it done," Jones said.

CeeDee Lamb's Contract Holdout: Cowboys Owner Not Pressed, Lamb Responds with a Laugh

Lamb responded on Twitter to a post of Jones' comments with a simple, light response.

"Lol," Lamb wrote.

CeeDee Lamb's Contract Holdout: Cowboys Owner Not Pressed, Lamb Responds with a Laugh

The Cowboys removed Lamb from their active roster, moving the star receiver to the Reserved/Did Not Report list ahead of their first exhibition game this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Lamb hasn't attended the team's voluntary workouts, mandatory minicamp and is now holding out of training camp, which makes him subject to fines of $40,000 per day for each practice missed. He is due $17.9 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.

"This is a business matter," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy told reporters this week of Lamb's contract situation. "We all understand that he’s putting in the time now. When he gets here, we’ll take that. We’ve also got to be smart when he gets here. We’ve got to ramp him up and get him ready to go."

Lamb is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season and also earned his first All-Pro selection in 2023. His season included 135 receptions, which led the NFL, for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, all career highs.

But Lamb is one of only three Cowboys star players who are due for massive new contracts in the near future. Quarterback Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract, which is set to give the Cowboys a $55.1 million cap hit in 2024. Meanwhile, star linebacker Micah Parsons is entering the final base year of his rookie contract and is expected to possibly receive the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history.

As for Lamb's potential deal, the wide receiver market was significantly reset this offseason when Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was drafted in the same class as Lamb in 2020, received a four-year, $140 million deal with $110 million guaranteed.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown signed a three-year extension, averaging $32 million this year, while Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signed for $30 million per year in his latest deal. Meanwhile, Miami Dolphins superstar Tyreek Hill restructured his deal for another three years at $30 million per year.

Lamb is set to make $17.99 million on his fifth-year option this year.

Lamb's holdout is a reminder of the ever-changing landscape of NFL contracts, where players are increasingly seeking big-money deals earlier in their careers. It remains to be seen how long Lamb's holdout will last and whether the Cowboys will be able to reach an agreement with their star receiver.