OXNARD, Calif. — CeeDee Lamb made it clear he wanted to remain with the Dallas Cowboys for a long time to come, and he’s getting his wish. Ending his summer holdout, the two-time All-Pro receiver has agreed to terms on a new multi-year deal that will keep him in North Texas, only one day prior to the team undergoing its first official practice of camp in Frisco — putting him in the same tax bracket as the best receivers in the entire NFL.
He is now ready, and eager, to report to the facility; and with little time to ramp up as the Cowboys prepare to take on the Cleveland Browns in 13 days.
The deal lands at four years with max value of $136 million with a $38 million signing bonus, and $100 million guaranteed, per multiple reports that include NFL.com.
The club initially opted to exercise Lamb’s fifth-year option for 2024, but will no longer need it — Justin Jefferson’s and Tyreek Hill’s megadeals landing this summer to serve as a catalyst to propelling Lamb’s extension to completion in Dallas. The news comes not long after owner and general manager Jerry Jones made headlines regarding his answer to the question of “urgency” regarding getting the deal done, and Lamb offering up a digital laugh in response.
Jones then reframed his comments, and it’s the prediction from executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones that held the most true in stating there was always “zero thought of Lamb not being a Dallas Cowboy”.
Following comments by Dak Prescott that told Lamb “you’ll get your money”, Micah Parsons offered up a guarantee that the All-Pro wideout would “be suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys” in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
In early April, absent from Cowboys’ voluntary offseason conditioning but still training outside of the building at the time, Lamb made a proclamation that he’s now officially made good on.
“Winning — I’m looking forward to winning and being out there with my guys, and making another run at this thing,” Lamb said.. “… Yeah, I’ll be in Dallas!”
A former 17th-overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2020, the Louisiana native turned South Texas resident (in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) hit the ground running as a Cowboys’ rookie and hasn’t looked back since.
The 25-year-old has delivered 3,396 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in his three-year career — while averaging a robust 13.1 yards per reception — adding two Pro Bowl honors to his resume in the process to go along with the aforementioned All-Pro nods.
The 2022 season was the first that demonstrated the ascension of Lamb to the role of WR1 in Dallas, in the post-Amari Cooper era, as he reeled in career highs in both receiving yards (1,359) and touchdowns (9) — Lamb being the most explosive offensive playmaker that season outside of running back Tony Pollard.
With the former operating in prime form, the Cowboys’ offense became No. 1 in points per game following the return of Dak Prescott from injury in Week 7.
The front office then traded for Brandin Cooks in the offseason to follow to tandem with Lamb and what they hoped would be a resurgent Michael Gallup, though the latter has since been released and it’s instead former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert being looked upon as the lead horse for the role in 2024.
That means the receivers’ room in Dallas has instantly gotten younger and less proven, with Cooks also entering a contract year, making it that much more important to ensure Lamb stays put in a Cowboys’ uniform.
This is especially true when also factoring in how Lamb blew his 2022 campaign out of the water in 2023 — setting new career-highs in receiving yards (1,749), receiving touchdowns (12), average receiving yards per game (102.9), catch percentage (74.6%), first downs (80), yards per target (9.7), total targets (181), total receptions (135), receptions per game (7.9), rushing yards (113) and rushing touchdowns (2).
His 10 catches for more than 150 yards in three consecutive games set a new NFL record for most receptions and yards ever in a three-game stretch, while his 13-catch, 227-yard clinic in Week 17 against the Detroit Lions broke a single-game receptions and receiving yards record long held by Hall of Fame playmaker and fellow 88 Club resident Michael Irvin.
This isn’t the type of talent you allow to leave the organization, and the Cowboys’ front office never had any intention of doing so.
