The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most talked about teams in the NFL this year leading up to training camp and preseason games. This is because the 2024 season is a do-or-die situation for their coaching staff, led by head coach Mike McCarthy. Even though Dallas has won 12 games in each of the previous three regular seasons under his leadership, they have gone just 1-3 in the NFL Playoffs during his tenure.

The Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl in nearly 30 years, so the franchise and fanbase are anxious to return. This year will be McCarthy’s last chance to prove that he is capable of taking Dallas back to the Promised Land.

The Dallas Cowboys Have Been Negotiating Contract Extensions for CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Micah Parsons

One of the main focuses of the offseason, at least from the media and fan perspectives, has been the ongoing contract extension negotiations with the Cowboys’ three best players. Quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and linebacker Micah Parsons are all entering the final year of their contracts, and each expects to be among the highest-paid players at their respective positions.

While Prescott and Parsons have been present for team activities and training camp, Lamb has not. Instead, the All-Pro wide receiver has been holding out and will not report to the team until he gets a new contract.

Lamb is currently scheduled to play on his fifth-year option, which would pay him $17.9 million. However, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones recently revealed that Lamb has informed the team that he wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

And his rejection of Dallas’ latest contract offer suggests that he is certainly not exaggerating with his demands.

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro CeeDee Lamb Turned Down a Contract that Would Have Made Him the 2nd-Highest Paid Wide Receiver in the NFL

Currently, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Earlier this offseason, he signed a four-year $140 million contract extension that will pay him $35 million a year on average.

This is the new standard for NFL wide receivers, and Lamb wants the Cowboys to meet it. According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the Cowboys All-Pro recently turned down an offer from Dallas that would have made him the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. “My understanding is it’s around $33 million, and for Lamb, that’s still not good enough,” Garafolo said. “The top of the market is $35 million with Justin Jefferson, so he wants that to come up. And the structure, I am told, via sources familiar with Lamb’s thinking, needs to be worked on as well — cash flow guarantees and how that will be structured on the front half of the deal.”

It appears that Lamb wants to at least match Jefferson’s average annual salary of $35 million. He also wants the deal to be frontloaded so that Dallas can’t release him after a couple of year to save money.

The two sides are nowhere close to a deal, but there is no doubt they will get one done.

For now, the waiting game continues.