Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is not expected to report to training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on Wednesday, league sources said Tuesday. Lamb is entering the last year of a deal scheduled to pay him $17.99 million this season.
Both sides have been in communication, but there is no deal in place.
As his teammates got off the bus in Oxnard on Tuesday afternoon, Lamb was not present less than 48 hours before training camp. Lamb’s absence was expected, as he held out of all offseason workouts this spring, from voluntary OTAs to mandatory minicamp, the latter of which resulted in fines.
If Lamb fails to report to the start of camp, as is expected, he will be fined for each practice he misses and will face even heftier fines for each preseason game he isn’t available for.
With Lamb, the Cowboys’ wide receiver group is headlined by one of the elite pass catchers in the game and looks formidable. Without Lamb, the position is littered with question marks, from how much Brandin Cooks has left in the tank in a major role and what Jalen Tolbert had to offer. Lamb’s absence is especially a big opportunity for Tolbert, as the third-year receiver will get valuable reps with quarterback Dak Prescott.
This is the second consecutive training camp the Cowboys will begin with a key offensive veteran holding out in a contract dispute. It worked out well for Zack Martin last year, who eventually got the restructure he was looking for after missing a few weeks of practices.
In addition to Lamb, who is entering his fifth-year option season of his rookie deal for $17.9 million, the Cowboys also have lingering business with Prescott and Micah Parsons. Parsons, who has two years left on his rookie deal, has expressed contentment to wait a year for his extension while Prescott is entering the final year of his contract.
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