Cowboys are prioritizing CeeDee Lamb’s contract over Dak Prescott amid holdout plans

The Cowboys want to wrap up all pro receiver CeeDee Lamb's contract quickly because he has been holding out for a long time and more so because Dak Prescott isn't in a hurry for an extension himself.

Cowboys are prioritizing CeeDee Lamb’s contract over Dak Prescott amid holdout plans

The Dallas Cowboys prioritizing CeeDee Lamb's contract over Dak Prescott's (Image via IMAGO)

CeeDee Lamb chose to stay tight-lipped about his contract talks with the Dallas Cowboys. Similar to quarterback Dak Prescott, 2024 is the last year of his rookie deal.

Lamb will earn $17.99 million this season, and the Cowboys would have the option of using the franchise tag on him. So far, he has stayed away from any of the Cowboys’ offseason activities, training on his own, and likely will not show up for the camp in Oxnard.

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Unlike Prescott, who will enter free agency after his deal runs out, Lamb could easily ask for a trade if he did not sign an extension. Perhaps this is the reason the Cowboys are reportedly working overtime for a new contract.

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Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News revealed talking to an insider who possessed knowledge of the deal.

The good news is the Cowboys made Lamb their No. 1 priority. According to a person with knowledge of the front office's thinking, the Cowboys are putting Lamb's contract extension talks ahead of quarterback Dak Prescott's.
Calvin Watkins wrote

Watkins observed Lamb’s youth camp, where almost 600 children participated. From the venue, the 25-year-old wideout reiterated that he would not discuss the contract and let his agent take care of it.

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The Cowboys want CeeDee Lamb back quickly

There are past examples of players such as running back Ezekiel Elliott and right guard Zack Martin holding out throughout the offseason. They eventually penned a new deal with the NFL franchise before the season began.

Cowboys are prioritizing CeeDee Lamb's contract over Dak Prescott amid holdout plans
CeeDee Lamb (Image via IMAGO)

Lamb is in the same boat, but his value is much higher because the receiver market has reset several times in the last few months. Currently, the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson leads the pack with $35 million annually; the Cowboys wouldn’t want the money to go up even further before Lamb’s deal.

So, the holdout will continue, the insider told Watkins.

When Lamb arrives in Southern California for work is unknown… The Cowboys want Lamb in camp, but the talks, slow as they've been, could pick up once the team arrives in California.
Watkins wrote

The Cowboys don’t feel the pressure to extend Prescott’s deal because the quarterback will attend the Oxnard. He is on course to earn north of $60 million, but whether it will be with the Cowboys is still under doubt.

Regardless, Lamb’s extension should bring some relief to the Cowboys Nation. Besides the wideout and Prescott, edge rusher Micah Parsons will remain eligible for a new deal.

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