Dallas Cowboys Move CeeDee Lamb to Reserve/Did Not Report List as Holdout Continues
On Tuesday, August 6, the Dallas Cowboys placed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on the reserve/did not report list as his holdout enters its third week. This procedural move does not rule Lamb out for any period if he returns, but it provides the Cowboys with more roster flexibility for injuries.
Lamb, seeking a lucrative long-term deal comparable to his peers like Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Justin Jefferson, who recently signed a four-year, $140 million extension with $110 million guaranteed, has not reported to training camp. “I can’t give you numbers right now, but I’ll tell you this, [I want to be] one of the top-paid receivers for sure, if not the [highest-paid receiver],” Lamb said in January on Micah Parsons’ The Edge podcast.
The Cowboys are in negotiations with Lamb, but an agreement has not been reached yet. “They’re just progressing, in my mind,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on August 2. Lamb, who finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, is in the final year of his rookie contract and is set to make $17.9 million on his fifth-year option.
Head coach Mike McCarthy emphasized that Lamb’s absence is a business matter and noted that Lamb has been working out during the holdout. “When he gets here, we’ll ramp him up and get him ready to go. But there’s a lot of investment in CeeDee and Dak, so we have a good foundation here to lean on,” McCarthy said on August 5.
Lamb has the support of his teammates, including fellow wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who frequently checks in on him, and quarterback Dak Prescott, who expressed his eagerness to have Lamb back. Prescott, dealing with his own contract issues, shared that Lamb is keen to return and is working hard during the holdout.
The Cowboys’ preseason begins on Sunday, August 11, against the Los Angeles Rams.