Stephen Jones: CeeDee Lamb Leaving Cowboys Given ‘Zero Thought’ amid Contract Talks

Julia StumbaughAugust 9, 2024

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Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones says his team has given “zero thought” to moving on from CeeDee Lamb despite the ongoing dispute over the wide receiver’s contract.

“Zero. Zero. Zero thought process of not having CeeDee be a Dallas Cowboy,” Jones told Matt Mosley and Ed Werder on The Doomsday Podcast by Rogue Media Sports and Mostly Mosley LLC (h/t NBC Sports’ Charean Williams.)

Jones continued: “CeeDee’s not going to be playing anywhere but Dallas, but we want this to be a great situation for him when we’re all said and done, but also a good situation so that we can put a great football team on the field.”

The podcast was released the same day Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters he doesn’t feel “any urgency” to finalize Lamb’s next contract.

Lamb responded to Jones’ comment on X with a post that said only, “lol.”

CeeDee Lamb @_CeeDeeThreelol. https://t.co/AJQqCTtTe8

Jerry Jones had said earlier when speaking to reporters that the Cowboys were “making real progress” in negotiations with Lamb, although he declined to commit to whether the star wideout would be back with the team for the season opener.

The Cowboys owner was then asked if he felt a sense of urgency about the situation, which he denied, per NFL.com’s Grant Gordon.

Lamb has yet to attend training camp amidst his holdout for a new contract.

The wide receiver is currently set to play the 2024 season on a club option worth just under $18 million before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2025.

Lamb, who earned his first All-Pro nod and third career Pro Bowl nomination while leading the NFL with 135 receptions and accruing a career-high 1,749 receiving yards last time, likely wants a higher salary and more security for his fifth season with the Cowboys.

Stephen Jones expressed confidence on the Doomsday Podcast that the Cowboys would be able to agree to a new deal with their star receiver.

“When he reports, as we certainly believe he will at some point, and hopefully with a new contract,” Stephen Jones said (6:10 mark.) “We continue to make progress. Things are very cordial.”

Stephen Jones had previously said on July 27 that the Cowboys had sent the receiver a new offer, and that Lamb was working out in Houston, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.

The Cowboys now have less than one month left to make further progress on those negotiations before the regular season kicks off on Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns.