The Dallas Cowboys are hard at work preparing for the 2024 NFL season. They are doing so, of course, without wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who is holding out for a massive contract extension. Every day that Lamb does not report to training camp, he is fined a mandatory $50,000. Quarterback Dak Prescott and linebacker Micah Parsons also want big contract extensions with the team, but both of them are present and participating in training camp.
The fact of the matter is that the Cowboys would like to extend all three of them. The problem, however, is that each of them command contracts that will make them among the highest paid players at their respective positions. For Lamb, that would mean an extension that mays him well over $30 million a year.
What Exactly Is Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb Looking for in His Next Contract?
Earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings reset the wide receiver market by giving All-Pro Justin Jefferson a four-year $140 million contract extension. His $35 million average annual salary is the highest in the NFL for a non-quarterback.
According to a report earlier this week, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones has admitted that Lamb is not asking for more money than Jefferson got from the Vikings. That being said, he likely does not want to take much less than $35 million. That same report stated that, “the Cowboys remain a few blocks away, with their best offer not yet at $33 million annually.”
The good news, at least for Cowboys fans, is that while it is taking a long time for the deal to get done, there is no doubt that Lamb is going to be extended. Both sides want to get a deal done to keep the All-Pro in Dallas for the foreseeable future.
Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones Told Mike McCarthy How Many Times He Wants CeeDee Lamb Targeted Every Game
While it is easy to think of contract extensions as rewards for past play, especially for players coming off of rookie deals, the fact of the matter is that teams pay players for what they think they will accomplish throughout the duration of the new contract.
And Stephen Jones made it clear to head coach Mike McCarthy what that will mean for Lamb. “I told [Coach McCarthy] things can’t change. He’s got to be targeted 12 to 15 times a game. You got to hand it to him a couple more times. So I don’t see that changing in the least bit.”
Last year, Lamb led the NFL with 135 receptions while being targeted 181 times. 12 targets a game over the course of a 17-game season would amount to 204 targets. 15 targets over the same number of games would be 255.
Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas holds the NFL record for receptions in a season with 149. If Lamb is going to be targeted over 200 times a season, he will almost assuredly break that record.
Lamb’s incredible 135 receptions last year is the sixth-highest total for a single season in NFL history.
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