Cowboys, WR CeeDee Lamb agree to multi-year extension: Sources

Jerry Jones had no sense of urgency in re-signing CeeDee Lamb while the team was in California for five weeks of training camp. But the Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager clearly wanted it done before the regular season started.

Lamb and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract that includes a record-breaking $36 million signing bonus, meaning Dallas will have its top offensive playmaker when the team travels to Cleveland for Week 1, league sources said. The Athletics.

Lamb’s deal makes him the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver, behind Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. The Vikings and Jefferson agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract in early June, with $110 million of it guaranteed. Lamb was entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. That doesn’t mean he would have hit free agency in March if a deal hadn’t been reached. The Cowboys could have used the franchise tag, something that likely would have made Lamb angrier than he was a few weeks ago.

Jones and Lamb made headlines on August 8 when Jones told reporters that he had no sense of urgency to make a deal. Lamb responded to Jones’ comment via X by posting “lol.” Jones attempted to clarify his comments three days later on the team’s pregame show before their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

“I understand the anxiety that comes when you’re anxious about (something) and someone says something about whether you’re missed or not,” Jones said at the time. “Well, CeeDee, you’re missed.”

Jones wasn’t concerned about Lamb missing camp, knowing the 25-year-old remained in top shape while working out with his own trainers. According to Jones, Lamb wasn’t scheduled to play in the preseason, and his absence created more opportunities during camp for wide receivers Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin and Ryan Flournoy to get work done with quarterback Dak Prescott and the starters.

Lamb has consistently improved in each of his previous four seasons in Dallas, establishing himself as the NFL’s top wide receiver conversation piece. His targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns have increased every season since the Cowboys drafted him 17th overall in 2020.

The three-time Pro Bowler and 2023 first-team All-Pro led the NFL in targets (181) and receptions (135) last year. He finished second in the league in receiving yards (1,749) and receiving touchdowns (12).

Now that the business end is wrapped up, the Cowboys need to be careful that Lamb doesn’t do too much too soon. The last thing they want is for their star receiver to suffer a soft-tissue injury.

Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys’ veteran No. 2 wide receiver, has said he doesn’t think missing Lamb will be a problem.

“He’s the best receiver in the league for a reason,” Cooks said. “I played with a guy in Aaron Donald, who, if I’m not mistaken, didn’t come to camp three years in a row and win Defensive Player of the Year. And (Lamb) is that good of a receiver.”

Lamb’s quarterback has similar sentiments.

“He’s talented,” Prescott said early in camp. “He works hard. He’s special. He’s the best receiver in the league for a reason. And I’ve seen Instagram videos. I know you’ve seen him. He works. And he works hard. So I have no fear, no worries that when he gets here that we’re not going to pick up where we left off.

“And when you’re a stallion like that and you’re smart like him and you can communicate well, it makes that process a lot easier. So it’s not like we have to build something. We have that. We just have to rekindle it when he’s here.”

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(Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)