NFL Rumors: CeeDee Lamb and 3 more Cowboys contract extension candidates
By Simon Shortt
The Dallas Cowboys once again met an embarrassing end to their season, being bounced from the Wild Card round after going 12-5 and winning their division in the regular season.
Even during their incredible regular season run, everyone knew the team would be judged on how they fared in the playoffs. We know now the coaching staff led by Mike McCarthy is still in place (albeit a couple changes), and now it's time to look ahead to which players will be back for the longterm.
Edge rusher Micah Parsons was recently asked about his contract situation. Parsons, entering his fourth season in 2024, is extension-eligible. But when asked about his situation, he turned his own attention to another teammate in need of a payday.
"I know they gotta get CeeDee Lamb done. I think that's the priority right now," Parsons told NFL Network's Maurice Jones-Drew and Rhett Lewis Friday on Super Bowl Live.
And that brings us to Lamb, and three more Cowboys contract extension candidates.
4. Cowboys extension candidates: CeeDee sees dollar signs
As of now, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option in 2024 which is a little more than $17 million. If Lamb did not get an extension done, he would be an unrestricted free agent after 2024.
For a number of reasons it will benefit the Cowboys to work out an extension with Lamb. First and foremost -- Lamb is good at football. The fourth-year player is coming off of his first All-Pro season after leading the league in catches (135). He also had 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The other reason an extension would be beneficial to Dallas is it can lower his cap number. All of Lamb's salary counts against the team's cap next year. With an extension including new years and new money, Dallas could convert most of Lamb’s 2024 base salary to a signing bonus which would spread the cap hit out over multiple years. This would allow Dallas to escape the red on their cap sheet, and potentially create some cap room to try and add to their team for this season.