CeeDee Lamb 'still waiting on that phone call' amid Cowboys contract holdout

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the worst offseasons in the NFL. Not only did they fail to do much at all to improve after last season's embarrassing exit in the Wild Card Round, but they failed to extend even one of their three superstars who were all asking for new deals.

Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb are three established stars in the NFL who all entered this offseason in search of new deals to remain in Dallas long-term. Jerry Jones failed to sign a single one of them.

When it comes to Parsons and Prescott, hesitation to get deals done makes some sense from Dallas' perspective. Parsons is under contract through the 2025 campaign, so the Cowboys don't have to be super desperate with him. Prescott is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2024 campaign, but hesitation to pay a quarterback like Prescott who's good but not close to the best absurd money to reset the market makes some sense. Make him earn that with a deep postseason run this year. With Lamb, though, hesitation to get something done never has or will make sense for a variety of different reasons.

In his latest cryptic social media post, Lamb had this to say:

“Still waiting on that phone call, but until then we grind…control what I can control and that’s to be the best version of me.”

Lamb's waiting for a new deal to come to fruition, but while the Cowboys continue to waste time, he's working behind the scenes in preparation for the 2024 season.

CeeDee Lamb is patiently waiting for the Cowboys to come to their senses

The Cowboys waiting to sign Lamb, one of the best receivers in the NFL, to an extension, is mind-boggling.

The 25-year-old is coming off of one of the greatest wide receiver seasons that a Cowboy has ever had, racking up a league-leading 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 17 games. He's been durable, consistent, and has only gotten better each year. If he isn't the best wideout in the game, he's certainly one of the three or five best.

With Prescott, it's understandable for the Cowboys to not want to pay him upwards of $60 million when he is not top-five at his position and hasn't elevated his or his team's play in the playoffs. With Lamb, though, the Cowboys would be guaranteeing significantly less money since he's a receiver, and he's a bonafide superstar. Again, if he isn't the best receiver, he's awfully close to it.

He's under contract for just a shade under $18 million this season, but is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2024 campaign. Lamb, understandably, wants a deal that pays him like the elite player he is before he risks getting hurt in a contract year. If we're being honest, the Cowboys have no reason to wait.

What makes this so urgent from their perspective is that Lamb is holding out. Parsons and Prescott are with the team, but Lamb is not. It's possible that he'll report before Week 1 of the regular season kicks off, but that's not a guarantee. He'd also be joining the team with no preseason or training camp reps at all. The Cowboys should want Lamb with their team as soon as possible if they want to compete and get the best version of the three-time Pro Bowler.

ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed just days ago that he believes a deal will get done before Week 1, but Lamb's post suggests nothing is close at all at this juncture. All Cowboys fans can do is hope that Jerry Jones gets desperate, comes to his senses, and gives Lamb the deal he desires and deserves.