Lamb, who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Raiders, won't clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol ahead of the 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff and is set to be inactive for the contest, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.
Though team executives as well as head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence that Lamb would be ready to go for Thanksgiving Day after he returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant, the second-year receiver likely wasn't able to gain medical clearance from either team doctors or an independent neurologist (or both). Lamb likely would have avoided an absence if the Cowboys were playing on Sunday this week, but the quick turnaround for their annual holiday game didn't provide enough time for the wideout to clear the necessary hurdles. Dallas is expected to officially rule him out when it releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to kickoff, and with both Lamb and Amari Cooper (reserve/COVID-19 list) sidelined, Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown are likely to serve as the team's top three receivers. All could be in line for extra snaps and targets, while tight end Dalton Schultz and running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard may also see more involvement as pass catchers. Meanwhile, Lamb will set his sights on gaining clearance for the Cowboys' Week 13 game versus the Saints on Dec. 2.