FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott made it a point to be at the team's offseason program despite entering the final year of his existing contract in 2024 and desiring a new, long-term extension after leading the NFL in passing touchdowns in 2023.
His top target, 2023 All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, is in a similar situation as Prescott since he too enters 2024 in the final year of his existing deal. The similarities between their situations ends there. Prescott is looking for his third NFL contract, second post-rookie deal, and has earned $161.4 million from his Cowboys contracts in eight seasons, according to OverTheCap.com. Lamb is in line for his second NFL contract, his first following his rookie contract after being selected 17th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. His career earnings from his Cowboys contracts are just over $14 million, per OverTheCap.com.
Lamb is set to earn $17.9 million fully guaranteed on his fifth-year option with an eye toward resetting the top of the wide receiver market. Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown ($32 million average per year), Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill ($30 million per year) are the current standard.
"Yes, I mean, that's my guy," Prescott said of Lamb on Wednesday at organized team activities. "Not many more people out there, more swaggier, cooler, better player, than that guy. So obviously you're gonna miss him, miss having him around. But I've been in this situation, it's business, business is business. He's got my support and pretty much everybody in this locker room. I know locker room support and so it's part of it. Hopefully, he'll get all his and everything he deserves and is worth."
CeeDee Lamb NFL ranks (2023 season)
| NFL RANK | ||
|---|---|---|
Receptions | 135* | 1st |
Receiving yards | 1,749* | 2nd |
Receiving TD | 12 | 3rd |
| Scrimmage yards | 1,862 | 2nd |
| Scrimmage TD | 14 | 6th |
* Single-season Cowboys record
Prescott acknowledged the difference between his first big contract negotiation, where Lamb is in his career, and his current negotiation for a second long-term deal.
"I think it just depends," Prescott said when asked if respect comes into play with contract negotiations. "I think it depends on personal relationships and position and how much that pay can affect others. Understanding where I am, what my pay means to a team and to an organization, I don't really take things personally. Maybe in my first deal, maybe things were a little different than they are now. One, it's my age and who I am, where I am in my life and I guess the fact that that first deal got done. The understanding that I have a lot of decision in this, too. I have a lot of say so, too. It's about understanding business is business and for me, it's controlling what I can and that's making sure I'm the best player that I can be right now."
Cowboys' No. 2 wideout Brandin Cooks, a 10-year NFL veteran who has played for five teams, is also in full support of Lamb, having gone through the business side of professional football many times over.
"I'm always there for him," Cooks said Wednesday after OTAs. "My biggest advice is just to make sure you doing what you have to do so you can come ready for training camp, whatever the case may be, so you haven't missed a beat so they don't regret paying you."
He is also fully supportive of the 2023 receptions leader working to squeeze every cent possible out of the Jones' family coffers.
"The guy [Lamb] is a freak," Cooks said on May 1. "He deserves everything that is coming his way, and I hope he gets every single dollar that he can and [be] the highest-paid receiver in the league because he's the greatest receiver in the league. No doubt."
Despite Lamb staying away from the Cowboys and their team facility, that hasn't prevented him from getting some pitch-and-catch action in with his quarterback as Lamb has followed Cooks' advice.
"For me and everybody else, as I said, in a sense it's OK that he's not here," Prescott said. "That's a big-time player, and he's training and we know that he's doing (that), he's fine. I've thrown with him a couple of times. I think the last you asked me, I said no. And he's ready to go. He looks like CeeDee Lamb."
Lamb's absence opens the door for other young wideouts to compete for snaps in practice. Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and 2024 sixth-round rookie Ryan Flournoy could be big beneficiaries of the opportunity. Both Cooks and Turpin flashed going deep down the sideline and were targeted frequently on Wednesday.
"At the end of the day, we're going to have to count on one of these guys who's getting some of the reps that CeeDee would. I think that's the important part for these guys to understand that these are real reps," Prescott said. .... "The fact that these young guys can get in here, they can hear everything, they can communicate, they can understand what I want on routes will be big. We're going to need some of those guys."
