OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver C.D. Lamb, who was unable to get the kind of contract extension that other wide receivers have received, is not expected to report to training camp Wednesday with the rest of his team, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Tuesday night.
Lamb is entering the final year of a deal that is set to pay him $17.99 million this season, and the Cowboys were preparing for the star player to miss the start of camp.
The denial won’t be official until Wednesday, but Lamb wasn’t on the team’s chartered flight from Dallas on Tuesday. That trip isn’t mandatory, though, and a number of players, including quarterback Dak Prescott, were already on campus at the River Ridge Residence Inn before the buses arrived in the middle of the afternoon.
The Cowboys’ first practice is scheduled for Thursday.
Lamb missed mandatory training camp in June, resulting in fines totaling nearly $100,000, though they can be waived by the team. Lamb faces a non-waivable $50,000 daily fine for each day he missed training camp, according to the collective bargaining agreement.
“I mean, he’s a big part of everything we do, and he’s definitely going to be missed by everyone, but while he’s dealing with the things he has to deal with, we have to deal with the work,” Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith said. “And I feel like the best thing we can do as teammates is make sure we stay on top of him so that when he comes back we’re a well-oiled machine and we’re working 110 percent.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Justin Jefferson has reset the market with a four-year, $140 million contract, including $110 million guaranteed. The $35 million annual average makes Jefferson the highest-paid non-linebacker in the league.
There have been discussions between the Cowboys and Lamb’s agent in recent weeks, but they have yet to close the gaps in a deal that would make Lamb the highest-paid receiver in team history and challenge Jefferson’s deal.
Last year, Zack Martin sat out three weeks of training camp, racking up nearly $1 million in fines, before getting a revised deal that guaranteed him $36 million in 2023 and 2024, up from the $27.5 million he was scheduled to earn.
Lamb had the best season of his career, setting a team record and leading the league with 135 receptions for 1,745 yards, second best in the NFL. He also scored 14 touchdowns (12 receiving) to earn first-team All-Pro honors.
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