The Dallas Cowboys have been trying to find a way to sign CeeDee Lamb to a contract extension, and it sounds like the star wide receiver may want to become the highest-paid player at his position.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media shared an update over the weekend on the negotiations between Lamb and the Cowboys. The two sides met last week, but there was reportedly not much progress. Garafolo said he has been told the Cowboys offered Lamb around $33 million per year, but Lamb wants something closer to the $35 million Justin Jefferson got from the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.
“My understanding is it’s around 33 and, for Lamb, that’s still not good enough,” Garafolo said. “The top of the market is 35 with Justin Jefferson, so he wants that to come up. And the structure, I’m told via sources familiar with Lamb’s thinking, needs to be worked on as well — cash flow, guarantees, how that’s gonna be structured on the front half of the deal. So there’s still a lot of work to be done here.”
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb reportedly believes the $33 million per year offer is too low and the structure of the contract in terms of cash flow, guarantees and how the deal will be structured on the front half is still keeping them apart…#DallasCowboys
(: @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/sS1L7TIeua
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 17, 2024
You always have to be skeptical of contract figures, as they do not tell the entire story. It is also important to keep in mind which side the story might be coming from. In this case, the Cowboys may want people to know Lamb turned down $33 million per year without knowing how much guaranteed money the team offered.
Lamb led the NFL last season with 135 catches and had 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. On paper, he has every right to demand the same salary that Jefferson got. One recent report claimed Lamb is not making that type of demand.
Whatever the case, Lamb still has not reported to the Cowboys with a few weeks to go until the start of the regular season. Don’t be surprised if the team starts to feel a bit more urgency, despite what owner Jerry Jones has said.
