Justin Jefferson's deal provides Dallas Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb with perfect template to solve ongoing contract dispute
The Dallas Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb are on the clock following the blockbuster NFL news that hit our phones' notification center on Monday morning: The Minnesota Vikings are signing wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a four-year contract extension worth $140 million, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. At a whopping average value per year of $35 million, […]
The Dallas Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb are on the clock following the blockbuster NFL news that hit our phones' notification center on Monday morning:
The Minnesota Vikings are signing wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a four-year contract extension worth $140 million, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. At a whopping average value per year of $35 million, Jefferson becomes the highest-paid player in the NFL excluding quarterbacks.
The deal includes $110 million guaranteed.
Although Ja'Marr Chase (signed through 2025) and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati will also play a role in how the wide receiver market pans out, the eyes of the NFL world now turn to the Cowboys and Lamb as the first-team All-Pro wide receiver has yet to show up to the team's offseason program, which has been voluntary so far. Mandatory minicamp starts on Tuesday.
In four seasons, Lamb's numbers are extremely comparable to Jefferson's as the picture below portrays, with both combining for five All-Pros. Jefferson has an advantage in yards while Lamb leads the way in catches and total touchdowns.
The Cowboys' front office claimed in April that they wanted to see more leaves fall and since then Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson have signed deals above the $30 million per year mark. Dolphins' WR2 Jaylen Waddle got $28.5M per year.
Out of all those deals, Jefferson's is the most relevant for Lamb, who firmly positioned himself as an elite wide receiver in 2023, helping Dak Prescott to a second-team All-Pro year.
Simply put, one of these two teams was always going to set the top of the market and this absolutely is it. The template the Vikings and Jefferson have laid out might just be the catalyst for a Lamb deal in the coming weeks or months. Expectations should be that both sides follow suit with the agreement reached between the Vikings and J.J.
Based on both the urgency and the amount of money they all will be paid when it's said and done, Lamb is looking like the likeliest "Big 3" contract the Cowboys will get done, with Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons waiting in line.
Now the question is how fast can the Cowboys and Lamb reach an agreement to avoid the receiver's ongoing holdout from reaching the summer days of training camp.
UPDATE: NFL insider reports talks between Lamb and Cowboys are expected to 'speed up'
Later on Monday, Josina Anderson from CBS reported conversations are expected to speed up between the Cowboys and Lamb as a result of the Jefferson news.
