One of the best receivers in football remains away from organized team activities.
Cowboys superstar CeeDee Lamb, according to the Dallas Morning News. Not attending team training camp As long as he isn’t paid what he feels he deserves.
The Cowboys are scheduled to arrive at the team’s training camp facility in Oxnard, California, on July 24.
The 25-year-old also did not attend Dallas’ mandatory minicamp and was fined more than $100,000 as a result.
Last year, Lamb proved to be one of the toughest players to guard in the NFL.
The Oklahoma native’s 135 catches were the most in the league, his 1,749 yards were second and his 12 touchdowns were third.
Lamb has continued to perform well since being selected 17th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
His 5,145 yards and 395 catches rank fifth since Lamb entered the league.
Despite its high target share, the Ram’s handling is also solid.
Per Pro Football Focus, he had the third-lowest drop rate among players with at least 150 targets last season.
He is set to play this season, his fifth, on a team option on his $17.991 million rookie contract.
The NFL receiver market has skyrocketed in recent years, but especially this offseason.
Vikings guard Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract on June 3, becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Before them, the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Eagles’ AJ Brown also earned average salaries of at least $30 million this offseason, joining the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill as an exceptional group of receivers.
Dallas’ reluctance to extend Lamb’s contract has driven up the price, with owner Jerry Jones likely paying the star at least $32 million per year — matching or exceeding the second-highest salary at the position with Brown.
The Cowboys are also mired in a contract extension quagmire surrounding quarterback Dak Prescott, who is set to become a free agent in 2024.
Under the guidance of an elite quarterback-receiver duo, Dallas finished the season with the best scoring attack in football, ranking second in expected points per play.
Despite their explosive offense and stout defense, the top-seeded Cowboys suffered a shocking loss to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.
The 2024 season will likely be a make-or-break one for Dallas, with coach Mike McCarthy’s spot heating up after regularly underwhelming in the postseason and perhaps with Prescott and/or Lamb due to depart at the end of the year.
