Report: Cowboys' Lamb won't be at training camp amid contract dispute
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is not expected to report to training camp Wednesday with the rest of his team, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Lamb - who also skipped mandatory minicamp - is looking for a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. His 2024 salary is $17.9 million.
The 25-year-old is projected to become one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers after earning a first-team All-Pro berth in 2023. Lamb is coming off the most productive season of his career, as he led the league with 135 receptions last year to go along with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The 2020 first-round pick, who was also a second-team All-Pro selection in 2022, has topped 1,000 yards as the No. 1 option in Dallas' offense in each of the last three seasons.
The Cowboys are also negotiating a new deal with quarterback Dak Prescott but have been in contact with Lamb. Dallas is reportedly prioritizing conversations with Lamb over talks with Prescott. All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is also eligible to sign an extension ahead of his fourth NFL season.
Wide receivers have stolen the headlines this year, with Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown resetting the market by signing deals worth more than $30 million annually. Jefferson tops the position with a record average annual salary of $35 million.
Negotiations between the Cowboys and Lamb reportedly sped up after Jefferson signed his contract in early June.
Dallas isn't new to star players holding out. In 2019, running back Ezekiel Elliott didn't begin training camp with the team and was later rewarded with the most lucrative deal for a running back at the time, notes ESPN's Ed Werder, who adds that All-Pro guard Zack Martin also held out last year before signing a lucrative contract.
It would be relatively surprising if Lamb topped Jefferson as the NFL's highest-paid receiver, but the Cowboys star's market value is currently $34 million per year, according to Spotrac.
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones recently admitted that "it's a challenge" for his team to keep all of its star players.