NFL Trade Rumors: Holdout Possible for Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb

The Dallas Cowboys have work to do. According to the Dallas Morning News, All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is expected to skip organized team activities and could even consider a prolonged holdout as he pursues a massive extension in the final year of his rookie contract.

A potential holdout by WR CeeDee Lamb looms for the Dallas Cowboyshttps://t.co/kU6u935BNR
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) April 9, 2024

The Cowboys took Lamb with the 17th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he has exceeded all expectations. Over 66 appearances for the Cowboys, Lamb has totalled an astonishing 5463 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns. Without a doubt, he's been the focal point of a Cowboys offense that has finished first, fourth, and first again in points scored over the past three seasons.

Whenever it comes, Lamb's next contract will likely set a new bar for the wide receiver position. He only just turned 25, and he's only getting better: his 135 receptions and 1749 receiving yards in 2023 were both franchise records, but he has improved in both categories every season since he entered the league. Lamb has earned the chance to be the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, and that would mean topping Tyreek Hill's four-year, $120 million pact with the Miami Dolphins.

Unfortunately, that's a deal the Cowboys may struggle to strike. Per overthecap, they're presently sitting on a little under $7 million in cap space. They're also negotiating a contract with quarterback Dak Prescott, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency and is ineligible for the franchise tag. Extending Prescott could theoretically open cap space for Lamb, but given the leverage he possesses, that may require its own record-breaking deal. Unless the Cowboys are willing to radically blow up their roster, owner and president Jerry Jones will have to reach deep, deep into his pockets.