If the Dallas Cowboys don’t figure out CeeDee Lamb’s contract situation soon, they could have to deal with a trade demand from the star pass-catcher.
Lamb’s holdout has dragged on for weeks and the end does not appear near. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t help the situation with his recent comments, saying he doesn’t have “urgency” to reach a resolution with Lamb.
“I don’t have a sense of urgency about getting it done,” Jones said on Thursday, August 8. “Give any reason you want. I was at Nobu two days ago. Put that as a reason.”
Lamb responded “lol” on X (formerly Twitter) to Jones’ comments. He also scrubbed his social media of almost every reference to the Cowboys. Courtney Cronin of ESPN believes Lamb could eventually push for a trade amid the stalemate.
"Don't be surprised at some point, if this thing continues, if you see CeeDee Lamb come out with a trade request."
😯 @CourtneyRCronin pic.twitter.com/toLVwo2Y8L
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 9, 2024
“None of this makes sense. All this boils down to is non-football people making football decisions,” Cronin said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Friday, August 9. “Don’t be surprised at some point if this thing continues if you see CeeDee Lamb come out with a trade request. That is the direction his owner is pushing him in now. He’s alienating the superstar talent that your offense needs to thrive this year. They’re supposed to be all-in this year for a Super Bowl but not paying guys?”
Cowboys Push Back About CeeDee Lamb Trade
The trade rumors are starting to swirl. However, Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones clarified that trading Lamb is not on the table.
“CeeDee can’t go play anywhere. He’s under contract, and we have franchise tags available,” Jones said during an appearance on “The Doomsday Pod” with Ed Werder and Matt Mosley. “CeeDee isn’t going to be playing anywhere but Dallas. We want this to be a good situation for him when we’re all said and done. But also a good situation so that we can put a good football team on the field.”
Lamb is looking for a deal to put him on par with some of his peers who recently inked lucrative extensions. That group is led by Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Justin Jefferson, who signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million guaranteed.
Spotrac estimates the market value for Lamb’s next deal to be $136 million in four years. That would pay him around $34 million per season, just behind Jefferson.
Cowboys Legend Calls Out Team for Handling of CeeDee Lamb
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s a key part of the Cowboys’ attack, and team legend Emmitt Smith is appalled with how things have been handled with Lamb.
“He is a very, very valuable asset to the Dallas Cowboys,” Smith said of Lamb during an interview with SB Nation. “He is a very, very valuable asset to Dak Prescott. Without (Lamb) on the football field, they’re putting all of the pressure on Dak Prescott now. And that is unacceptable. Because every quarterback of his caliber should have quality people to throw the ball to. Not no Plan B or no Plan C or no Plan D guy.”
The Cowboys are also trying to figure out a long-term extension with Prescott. He is heading into the final year of the four-year, $160 million deal he signed with the Cowboys in 2021. If Dallas doesn’t reach an extension with Prescott, he’ll be a free agent next offseason.
Facing a contract year, there’s no doubt Prescott wants his top target on the field as soon as possible.
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