The NFL season is mere days away. For much of the offseason, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys would go into the first game without CeeDee Lamb. The star wide receiver was holding out in hopes of a better deal. As is often the case in a holdout, some drama made fans anxious.
"I don't have any urgency to get it done," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told media about a new contract in August. Lamb replied with "lol." You know things are rough when an acronym has a period after it.
However, everything worked out in the end. The Cowboys and Lamb agreed to a four-year, $136 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. Lamb is now the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history—and his 2024 season just got significantly wealthier.
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Lamb was still on his rookie contract, and his fifth-year option worth $17.99 million would have kicked in for 2024. Instead, his base salary for 2024 will be…$1.15 million.
Don't worry. Lamb's agent didn't suddenly forget how to negotiate. The receiver's 2024 season will also include a $38 million signing bonus, the largest in NFL history for a wide receiver.
All told, Lamb's 2024 on-field earnings will be $39.15 million. That's an increase of more than 117%. Not a bad pay raise!
In subsequent seasons, Lamb's base salary will be much higher. He'll get $26.85 million in 2025, $25 million in 2026, $28 million in 2027, and $30.991 million in 2028, the final year of the extension. Each of those seasons also includes a $1 million roster bonus.
Lamb has been a major component for the Cowboys since falling to them at the No. 17 pick of the 2020 Draft. He's caught 395 passes for 5,145 yards and has topped 100 yards in 18 games. Last year, he broke the long-time receiving records held by Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, posting 135 catches and 1,749 receiving yards. He's also entering the 2024 season on a hot streak, scoring a touchdown in his final nine regular-season games.
Here's a little video of Lamb learning about the deal. Would you react similarly if you just found out you're getting nine figures?
https://twitter.com/CAA_Football/status/1829161708033835442
