Cowboys and WR CeeDee Lamb agree to four-year, $136 million contract extension – Nick Shook, NFL.com
The Cowboys’ WR1 will finally be back on the field for the season opener.
According to Rapoport and Pelissero, Lamb will also receive $100 million guaranteed and a wide receiver-record bonus of $38 million.
The contract gives Lamb the second-highest average annual salary of $34 million per year, just behind Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (four years, $35 million per year).
Lamb has stayed away from the Cowboys since the OTAs, which he skipped as part of his efforts to finalize a new contract before the season begins, and has remained a frequent topic in news about the Cowboys due to his lengthy absence. It hasn’t been a smooth process, either, especially when owner Jerry Jones told reporters in early August he was “in no rush to get it done,” prompting a brief, disgruntled response from Lamb via social media.
Jones was ultimately able to limit the PR damage, and as the preseason drew to a close, it seemed as though a deal for Lamb would be done before Week 1. It happened on Monday, giving quarterback Dak Prescott his most important weapon just in time for the start of a crucial season.
Cowboys to host Dalvin Cook: Dallas reportedly adding veteran running back despite having Ezekiel Elliott – Garrett Podel, CBS Sports
The Cowboys have kept Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott fit for the regular season, but continue to look for experienced options for the backfield.
Cook played his first five seasons (2017-2021) under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was then head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He has made the Pro Bowl in four of the last five years and rushed for at least 1,135 yards in each of those four seasons in Minnesota from 2019-2022.
In 2023, Cook played in 15 games with the New York Jets, but totaled just 214 rushing yards on 67 carries (3.2 yards per carry). He ultimately finished the year with the Baltimore Ravens, totaling 23 rushing yards on eight carries against the Houston Texans in the 2023 AFC Divisional Round. Since 2019, Cook has the fourth-most rushing yards (5,238), is tied for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (43), and the fifth-most rushing first downs (268). On the Vikings, he is the third-leading rusher with 5,993 yards, only Robert Smith and Adrian Peterson are better. His 47 rushing touchdowns are the fourth-best rusher in Vikings history.
Cook reportedly spent much of the 2024 offseason rehabbing shoulder surgery and “feels better than he has in years,” according to NFL Media.
Mike McCarthy reacts to CeeDee Lamb’s contract extension with the Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys head coach, who is in the final year of his contract, is certainly looking forward to calling the plays with Prescott and Lamb on the field again.
“I think, first of all, it’s great to get the deal done and have him back,” McCarthy said shortly after both sides agreed to the deal. “… I was expecting a situation today that was going to happen sooner or later, but it was good that it worked out. I think we’re all relieved.”
McCarthy maintained throughout that Lamb would return to the team soon and that the Cowboys would ramp up the First-Team All-Pro wide receiver in practice afterward.
This remains the plan for Labor Day weekend.
“The schedule we have for the week fits into a ramp-up mode, honestly,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll have to adjust much. Of course, we’ll have a plan for him.”
What Lamb has accomplished since entering the league has been outstanding in many ways and, in others, literally historic, as McCarthy can readily attest.
“The talent of this young man has been evident since he first played football,” said the Cowboys’ head coach. “Not only does he play every position on the offensive perimeter, but he’s also an exceptional returner, and he enjoys that. He loves being in the backfield and (also) running the ball. He gives you the opportunity to exploit that not only schematically, but he’s damn good at everything.”
Cowboys rumors: Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons contracts not closer after Lamb deal – Andrew Peters, Bleacher Report
The contract monitoring for big names is far from over in Dallas.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are “no closer” to extending Prescott or Parsons’ contracts.
“It didn’t feel like there was any real urgency to get a deal done,” Schefter said on SportsCenter“And the urgency helped them today with CeeDee Lamb, but it wasn’t really there with Dak Prescott or Micah Parsons, and it shouldn’t be. So those two situations remain. And now that Dallas has reached the agreement with CeeDee Lamb, it can focus some of the attention it has devoted to its wide receiver on quarterback and elite defensive player Micah Parsons.
“But it doesn’t look like a deal with any of those players – Parsons or Prescott – is any closer at this point, although CeeDee Lamb now has an agreement to keep him in Dallas for the next five years.”
Prescott will be a free agent after the 2024 season and is expected to get a big raise in the offseason. The veteran led the NFL with 36 touchdowns and had the third-most passing yards last year with 4,516.
The quarterback market was rebalanced this offseason after Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love landed contracts that paid them more than $50 million a year, and Prescott certainly deserves a number in that range.
The Cowboys have more time to resolve Parsons’ contract situation, as his contract runs through the 2025 season. This also gives Parsons time to have a career season and increase his value even further.
Jerry Jones believes the “fear and pressure” experienced in the final year of a contract is a positive – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk
Jerry is banking on his team to perform under pressure this season, because of course he does.
Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his contract with the Cowboys, which he admitted is a “challenge.”
Jones said Saturday night he believes the best attitude towards life comes when your back is against the wall.
“Absolutely, I do. I really do,” Jones said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that fear, pressure and competition bring out the best in coaches and players. But … this game has to demand a little more fire from the guys you’re in front of (on the field). That’s why I’m pretty amazed when someone talks about the job they’re doing without a contract. It blows my mind.”
McCarthy has posted 12 wins in back-to-back seasons, something Dallas hasn’t accomplished since the dynasty of the 1990s. The Cowboys are 36-15 in the regular season over the last three seasons, second only to the Chiefs at 37-14 over that span.
Can the Cowboys trade Trey Lance or will he stay in Dallas for next year? – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire
Transfer talks surrounding Trey Lance will continue during the regular season, although Cooper Rush will likely serve as the Cowboys’ second quarterback.
The Cowboys are in a dilemma because Lance is to count $5,310,717 toward the salary cap, That’s more than most teams want to spend on the QB3 position. Lance is still valuable as a developmental player in some ways, but he would have to be on the right team and get the right dollar amount.
The Cowboys have to ask themselves if this is below his budgeted cost in Dallas or if there are alternatives. Jerry Jones’ comments suggest he is committed to the cause, but words are not actions and things could happen behind the scenes.
“We definitely plan to include him in our squad,” Jones said about his young QB.
If the Cowboys are open to the idea of trading Lance, these are exactly the kind of statements Jones would make. A trade team doesn’t want to float the idea that the player in question could be released. But since Dallas would not get any relief from trading Lance, it’s safe to assume Jones was honest and Lance’s place on the 53-man roster is pretty secure.
