How much could CeeDee Lamb's holdout cost Dallas Cowboys star?

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is holding out. Here's how much $ it could cost him.

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. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

When the Dallas Cowboys land in Oxnard for training camp today one of their most important players will not be with the group. This morning we learned that star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is holding out of training camp over his expectation of getting a new contract.

For the moment, Lamb is still entering the final year of his rookie deal, which pays him a base salary of slightly under $18 million for the season, according to figures at Over the Cap.

That would make Lamb a grand bargain compared to other elite wide receivers around the NFL and how much they're making per year. If and when Lamb signs a new deal it's expected to reset the market, eclipsing the $35 million per year that Justin Jefferson just got from the Minnesota Vikings.

Holdouts can be a risky business, and there's no guarantee Lamb will get what he wants - especially considering the Cowboys also have to pay Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons lucrative deals that will no doubt cost even more than Lamb's new contract. In the meanwhile, the holdout could end up costing Lamb a considerable amount of money.

According to Joseph Hoyt at Lone Star Live, the Cowboys can fine Lamb up to $40,000 for each practice he misses. If he starts missing preseason games it will get even worse.

"According to Article 7, Section G of the collective bargaining agreement, Lamb would be fined a maximum of $40,000 per practice missed during training camp. He also would be fined an entire week’s worth of regular season pay for each preseason game missed."

Under his current deal, one week's salary is a little under $1 million for Lamb. So, if he winds up sitting out every training camp practice and all three preseason games it could cost him up to $3.68 million.

That won't necessarily be the case, though. The Cowboys could decide to waive those fines in the hopes of cutting a long-term deal, which is in their best interest.

According to Over the Cap, Dallas could save up to $13.5 million in cap space for 2024 if they extend Lamb before the season begins.

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