The Dallas Cowboys are holding off on making CeeDee Lamb the highest-paid receiver in the league — for now.
Lamb has been holding out for over a month and has missed a pair of preseason games. According to reports, the Cowboys’ most recent offer to Lamb approached $33 million per season, which would make him the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
Dallas has been unwilling to “close the gap” between that number and the $35 million annually that Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson brings in as the top-paid receiver, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
“The Cowboys have made an offer to make Lamb the second-highest-paid, sources told ESPN, but it has not closed the gap,” Archer said.
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Length of Contract Has Been ‘Holdup’ for Cowboys
Factors such as the length and guaranteed money could also be potential issues with the contract. Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team broke down the differing perspectives between Lamb and the Cowboys regarding the ideal contract length.
“It’s not even really about the money as much as it is the years, the contract years. And when you look at these two sides, they look at it very, very differently,” Meirov said on Tuesday, August 20. “[The Cowboys] do these long deals, and eventually, when the player continues playing well, the contract becomes very, very team friendly, and since there are so many years left, the player really has a hard time coming back to the table and asking for more money.”
Meirov pointed out that the Cowboys have, in the past, done longer deals with key players like Zack Martin and Tyron Smith. Lamb’s agent, Tory Dandy, typically likes to do shorter-term deals.
“Both sides have two different viewpoints on this. Once, one side wants shorter years, another one wants longer years, and that has been the holdup,” Meirov said. “But I do believe this will eventually be figured out. The Cowboys, obviously, are a better team of CeeDee Lamb on the field.”
Cowboys Say They’re in ‘Good Shape’ in CeeDee Lamb Talks
The Cowboys remain optimistic about finalizing a deal with Lamb before Week 1. Dallas knows they can’t afford to start the season without him on the field. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones provided the latest update on the negotiations after practice on Tuesday, August 20.
“I don’t mean that to be insensitive to our fans or to CeeDee, but we’re in good shape there and we are having promising talks,” Jones said. “You say, ‘Well, why do you keep talking? Why don’t you do something?’ Again, as in anything, it takes both of you there at the same time.
“But I believe it’s got the proper amount of everything — emphasis, importance — for everybody involved here and we’ll see how it goes.”
The Cowboys have some other significant contracts they hope to fall into place with Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. But Lamb is at the top of the list regarding priority because of his absence from camp.
The Cowboys open the year on September 8 against the Cleveland Browns.
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