Cowboys Say CeeDee Lamb Didn't Want a New Contract Last Season

The All-Pro receiver's patience will likely pay off.

Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) breaks up a pass for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) during the second half of the 2024 NFC wild card game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has yet to report to training camp as he awaits a new contract with the franchise, and his holdout has certainly left fans wondering whether or not the Cowboys acted too slowly in extending their star pass-catcher.

However, the Cowboys approached Lamb about a contract extension last year, but he preferred to wait on a new deal, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"It's hard to [act faster]," Jones said. "That’s the bottom line. It used to be people really wanted to go early. It’s hard to get someone to go because, let’s face it, if they wait, they’ll get their money. You can’t do them until after their third year anyway. Then they’re one year out. CeeDee played his year out last year. You say we could have done him. We couldn’t have. He was wanting to see what [Ja’Marr] Chase and Jefferson would do. He kept hearing these wild numbers. Turns out he’s probably right.“We tried. We wanted to. It’s just getting him to do one. Some guys get in a situation where they want the money. We got [Trevon] Diggs done early. When we can get them, we’ll grab them.”

As Jones said, the patience on Lamb's part will likely pay off for him whenever a deal finally gets done. To Lamb's credit, he pushed negotiations off a year, and while doing so, had his best professional season to date.

Lamb tallied 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, which were all career-highs. The 25-year-old knows that his best football is still in front of him, as he looks to reset the receiver market with his new contract that will likely be inked in Dallas sooner rather than later.