Per the report, Lamb and the Cowboys have negotiated but failed to reach terms on an extension to his rookie deal. Lamb will accrue fines until and if the two sides reach a deal that compels him to report to camp.
Lamb, a three-time Pro Bowler, is coming of a career season in which he led the NFL in receptions. He tallied 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023, all career highs. The effort earned Lamb first-team All-Pro Honors.
A first-round draft pick in 2020, Lamb is approaching the final year of his rookie contract on a $17.9 million fifth-year option that the Cowboys exercised. Lamb earned a total of $14.1 million over the previous four years of the deal. He’s seeking a long-term extension amid a lucrative market that’s seen an escalation in salaries for wide receivers this offseason.
The Minnesota Vikings and All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson reset the market with a four-year, $140 million contract in June. Eagles All-Pro A.J. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension to remain in Philadelphia, while Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Detroit Lions signed a four-year, $120 million deal.
One of the league’s best and most productive young receivers, Lamb commands a contract somewhere in that range. It’s unclear how far apart the two sides are in negotiations. Lamb is scheduled to be fined $40,000 for each day of camp that he misses. The Cowboys’ camp starts Wednesday in Oxnard, California. The team plane arrived in Oxnard on Tuesday without Lamb on board.
How will Cowboys settle Lamb, Prescott, Parsons negotiations?
Lamb’s contract is one of multiple high-profile Cowboys negotiations that remain unresolved. Quarterback Dak Prescott is approaching the final year of his four-year, $160 million contract and is entering training camp without an extension.
All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons is approaching the fourth year of his rookie deal and projects to command one of the highest non-quarterback contracts in football with his next deal. There’s less urgency around his negotiations as his contract runs through the 2025 season. But how the Cowboys settle with Lamb and Prescott will impact their flexibility within the salary cap to pay Parsons his market value.
