Mike McCarthy breaks down CeeDee Lamb's future with Cowboys as WR bags $136,000,000 extension
CeeDee Lamb is finally getting paid, and his head coach cannot be any happier. On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys gave their star wide receiver a four-year, $136-million contract extension, the second-largest for a non-QB in the league. The deal includes a $38 million signing bonus, the largest ever at his position.
Speaking to the press about what the plan is to prepare the two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler for the start of the season, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said:
"It was just great to get the contract in place and obviously have him back. The schedule we have for the week fits into a ramp-up mode. We're gonna have a plan for him. ... We do have to be smart with him, and that's our plan."
Lamb, who led the NFL in receptions (135) and was second in receiving yards (1,749) last season, has held out this offseason amid the contract standoff.
Lamb has received praise from TV personality Skip Bayless and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay for holding out and standing his ground until he got what he sought.
What does CeeDee Lamb's extension mean for Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons?
Now, as momentous as CeeDee Lamb's extension is, it does pose some questions, namely what happens to the other stars on the Cowboys' roster?
It is well known that quarterback Dak Prescott has also been seeking a monstrous new deal of his own as he approaches free agency. Last week, he told Yahoo's Jori Epstein:
“Understanding that sure, I'm deserving. But then again, I told [physical therapist] Luke [Miller], 'This game is judged off of winning the Super Bowl.' ...If these people want to move on, it's a business. But I know, as I said in the media, it's a two-way street. Things have to be right from my end as well.”
But if ESPN's Adam Schefter is to be believed, neither he nor linebacker Micah Parsons, whose fifth-year option was invoked before the NFL Draft, is at least currently any close to joining their teammate in getting paid. He said on SportsCenter, per Bleacher Report:
"It has not felt like there's been a real sense of urgency to get a deal done. And the urgency helped them today with CeeDee Lamb, but it has not really been there, nor should it be there with Dak Prescott nor Micah Parsons. So those two situations continue to linger on."
The deal is also expected to have ramifications on how Lamb's fellow wideouts JaMarr Chase and Brandon Aiyuk will get paid.