4 Dallas Cowboys who won’t be back in 2025 after CeeDee Lamb contract

The Dallas Cowboys have finally done what ultimately felt like the impossible. They gave CeeDee Lamb the mega extension he had been seeking.

Paying Lamb, a bonafide top-five receiver in the NFL if not better, who also happens to be just 25 years old, was a no-brainer. Not only is he the best player on their offense, but he might just be the best player on the team depending on your opinion of Micah Parsons.

Getting Lamb aboard for the long term was a huge win for the Cowboys, even if it took this long (thanks, Jerry). With that being said, though, he's now the second-highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. Fitting him into their cap means that other players won't be back in 2025. These four in particular stick out.

4. Trey Lance, QB

Nothing was going to stop Trey Lance from making the Cowboys' 53-man roster. Jerry Jones made that abundantly clear. It isn't surprising to see Lance make the roster since the team recently traded a fourth-round pick for him and cutting him would require them to take on some dead money, but still, we have to wonder if he deserves a spot.

Yes, Lance was a former first-round pick and has a lot of potential, but are we really going to gloss over the fact that he threw five interceptions in their last preseason game? He'll make the team, but if he looked that bad can any argument be made that he should be Dak Prescott's backup over Cooper Rush?

Let's assume Lance is the third-stringer and never appears in a game this season. What's next for him? They already declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent at the end of the 2024 campaign. Assuming they eventually give Dak Prescott a monster multi-year extension, why would Lance want to re-sign? If he doesn't show major signs of improvement, why would the Cowboys even want to bring him back?

It's a shame that the Cowboys gave up a valuable pick for a player clearly not in their future plans, but as things stand right now, it's hard to envision Lance returning after this year.

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB

In the first half of Ezekiel Elliott's NFL career, the Cowboys looked somewhat justified in taking him with the No. 4 overall pick. No, it's almost never wise to take a running back that early in the first round, but Elliott led the league in rushing yards twice in his first three years and made three Pro Bowl appearances in his first four years.

As the years went by, though, Elliott clearly started to regress. It had gotten so bad to the point where the Cowboys released Elliott ahead of the 2023 campaign, making him a free agent. It felt as if that was the final straw of Elliott in a Cowboys uniform.

The fact that Elliott averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and ran for 642 yards in 17 games last season made it feel even clearer that Elliott was not going to be back in Dallas. Well, that was until Jerry Jones, for whatever reason, chose to bring him back on a one-year deal, and there's a good chance he'll be receiving a bulk of the carries out of their backfield.

He's 29 years old and has been clearly regressing over the last couple of years. They can't possibly bring him back assuming this is another poor season, right?

2. Brandin Cooks, WR

The Cowboys added some depth to their receiver room last offseason by trading for Brandin Cooks. He was coming off of a down year, but was on a horrific Texans team and had been nothing but consistent for his entire career otherwise. Unfortunately, Cooks saw his numbers take another dip.

The 30-year-old had 54 receptions for 657 yards receiving, making 2023 one of his worst statistical seasons. He did reel in eight touchdown receptions, but again, his overall game was clearly on the decline.

He's back now and is expected to be the team's WR2 behind Lamb, proving how shallow their depth is. Barring a sudden resurgence, it wouldn't make much sense for the Cowboys to bring back the free agent to be when he's on the older side and they can probably find better bang for their buck elsewhere.

1. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

The Cowboys already had to watch a long-time member of their team, Tyron Smith, sign a deal with the New York Jets this offseason, and with Lamb inking this deal, more cap casualties will be coming. DeMarcus Lawrence might be the next long-time Cowboy to have to find a new home.

Lawrence has had a tremendous decade-long tenure in Dallas highlighted by four Pro Bowl appearances, but the unfortunate reality of this situation is that the salary cap does exist. Not everyone on the 53-man roster can be paid handsomely. Lawrence might be the easiest upcoming free agent to let walk.

Even with that being said, letting an impactful lineman like Lawrence walk is not easy. He might be 32 years old, but last season he had four sacks, 50 tackles, and 10 tackles for loss in 17 games played. He was a Pro Bowler. With the team needing to pay Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, and likely Micah Parsons next offseason, they can't hold onto everybody. Lawrence will be in another uniform for the first time in 2025.