Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb announced on social media Monday that he would not answer questions about contract negotiations during his youth football camps this week. Dak Prescott, though, was willing to talk about his favorite receiver at his Pro Camps football camp Tuesday.
Prescott said he has thrown to Lamb “a good amount” this offseason, and the two plan for more work before training camp begins.
Lamb skipped the team’s offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp, which could cost him more than $100,000 in fines. The Cowboys’ first training camp practice in Oxnard, California, is July 25, and Lamb is not expected.
“CeeDee’s going to be ready,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “A player like that, an athlete like that he makes my job easier. Trust me, we’ll be just fine.”
The question, though, is how long Lamb stays away from the team.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott and right guard Zack Martin both held out into training camp in recent summers, and the Cowboys eventually gave both what they wanted before the season started.
Lamb is set to make $17.99 million this year on the fifth-year option and is eligible for the franchise tag in 2025, but he wants to be paid as one of the top receivers in the NFL now. Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson and Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown are among the receivers who have gotten extensions this offseason.
Lamb’s representation and the Cowboys have had more than a year to negotiate, and it is unclear how close they are or if they are even talking. It is clear the Cowboys offense needs Lamb.
He had a career year in 2023, catching 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, breaking the team’s single-season record for catches and receiving yards.