Cowboys' Jones to holdout Lamb: 'You're missed'

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Three days after saying there was no urgency in getting All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signed to a contract extension, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones struck a different tone Sunday.

“Now I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you’re anxious about and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not. Well, CeeDee, you’re missed, OK?” Jones said on the Cowboys’ pregame show prior to their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams. “But you’re not missed out here competing and it doesn’t put any pressure any place on us.”

Jones’ original comments raised eyebrows, and even drew an “lol” from Lamb on X. When asked at the time if he had urgency to sign Lamb, Jones quickly said no.

Why?

“I don’t know why I said it,” Jones said Thursday. “I don’t know. I don’t have a sense of urgency about getting it done. Put any reason you want. I was at Nobu two days ago. Give that as the reason. Whatever you want to put out there.”

The Cowboys have been in discussions with Lamb regarding an extension that would make him among the highest paid receivers in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million deal that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Lamb faces daily fines of $40,000 and because he will miss the Rams’ preseason game, he could be fined nearly $1 million. However, all fines are at the team’s discretion because Lamb is on his rookie deal, so they can be rescinded.

After a 2019 preseason game against the Rams, Jones’ jokingly said, “Zeke who?” after a solid performance by then-rookie running back Tony Pollard as Ezekiel Elliott skipped training camp in a contract holdout.

The week before the season, Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension that guaranteed him $50 million.

Even if he had been in training camp, Lamb was not going to play in the preseason. But he has missed valuable practice time with Dak Prescott because he was not at the team’s voluntary offseason program, nor its mandatory June minicamp.

The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 8 at the Cleveland Browns.