FRISCO – “I’ll be in Dallas!”
Those four words surely bring some comfort to Dallas Cowboys fans who have spent this offseason dealing with news of inactivity when it comes to improving the roster and speculation about problems regarding the stars who already populate that roster.
In this case it’s All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb who is reacting to the latest speculation that he might be a contract holdout entering the 2024 season … yet another rumor that comes on the heels of gossip that Dallas might end up trading standout rather than to create for him a long-term contract extension that could be in the range of $30 million APY, putting him among the highest-paid receivers in NFL history.
Lamb tells TMZ that his priority for 2024 is helping Dallas to success alongside his quarterback, Dak Prescott … another name in the news as Prescott is also part of an original plan to get an extension – a plan that team owner Jerry Jones recently said is being altered, with no urgency about re-upping the QB, which could make him a free agent a year from now.
In Lamb’s case, he is also in the final year of his existing deal and slated to make $17.99 million. As the Cowboys ready to start their spring workout program on April 15, the Dallas News is creating some buzz by writing, “Barring a contract extension … Lamb won’t take the field.”
The News doesn’t cite a source here. Our argument: Maybe it’s simply enough to see such a move as logical. For one thing, the workouts are “voluntary” … though the Cowboys have long taken pride in their high attendance rate in offseason sessions. For another, while Lamb is presently under contract, he has every reason to see himself as a $30 million APY talent – and therefore has no need to risk injury before he gets that level of deal.
Additionally, the Cowboys rarely act preemptively in these matters, often choosing to make the move only when a) a deadline exists or b) an ultimatum is issued. And in Lamb’s case? He does not sound like he’s prepared to make any negative declaration about his future as a Cowboy … choosing instead to make a high-road positive declaration.
