Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones ‘Optimistic’ a Deal With CeeDee Lamb Will Happen

The Dallas Cowboys have been stuck in the middle of a contract dispute with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb has yet to report to training camp while attempting to secure a new deal with the team.

More news: Cowboys Star CeeDee Lamb Posts Cryptic Photo Amid Contract Holdout

So far, Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones has gone from playing coy about offering a contract to Lamb, to stating that the team is working on a deal to keep the star receiver happy and catching passes from Dak Prescott.

Reports indicated that the Cowboys offered Lamb a new contract, though that contract was clearly never accepted. The situation only got messier. Jones stated he was in no rush to get a deal done, prompting a response from Lamb in the form of a simple, “lol” response. Shortly after that, Lamb unfollowed the Cowboys on social media, leading many to believe that a split was coming.

The drama of the situation appeared to reach a boiling point, and the Cowboys front office appears to be coming to the realization that a deal must be done asap if they are to consider Lamb as a receiver in 2024.

Jones spoke to reporters today, offering a far more optimistic view on the contract with Lamb.

According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, “Jerry Jones on being optimistic about getting a deal done with CeeDee Lamb: ‘I think I am. And when I say that, it doesn’t sound too promising. The facts are that I believe we’ll come together. I don’t want to speak for him. That’s what I’m trying not to do. But we wouldn’t have offered him what we’ve offered him if we didn’t want him to be here.’ “

Machota also indicated that Jones revealed both parties were having “good talks.” The note of optimism follows weeks of concern that the Cowboys front office was being stubborn and the reality of 2024 could have been Dallas not having Lamb in the lineup.

Lamb was willing to incur steep fines for missing training camp, presumably meaning if he did not get a new deal, he would not suit up at all in 2024. The Cowboys are clearly not going to allow that to happen, and they have shifted into wanting to work with Lamb on a contract.

Lamb will need to be in the lineup for the Cowboys to have the best shot at making the playoffs, and Jones will need to offer a contract to make that a reality.