Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb On His $136 Million Contract Signing And What He Learned During Holdout

CeeDee Lamb is a happy man these days.

The Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver is only weeks removed from signing a four-year, $136 million contract which includes a $38 million signing bonus — a record for a wide receiver — and $100 million guaranteed. The contract was agreed upon shortly before the start of the season after Lamb had held out during the entirety of training camp.

The 25-year-old receiver explains that he was actually in Florida — he stayed in shape during his holdout in Fort Lauderdale — when he found out the news and that he was “ecstatic.”

“I was actually in Florida when I first found out and how did I feel? I was ecstatic,” says Lamb with a big smile on his face during a one-on-one interview. “It didn’t feel real. I think we posted a video on it with my reaction when I was on the phone with my agent. I couldn’t believe it. Once he told me, it was like finally, the deal is done. Now I can go play ball.”

Lamb is now the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL after he was originally due to earn just a shade under $18 million this season. Not only will he earn $34 million on an annual basis, he’s locked in with the Cowboys through the 2028 season.

The fifth-year receiver is all smiles after earning his big contract with huge production last season. Lamb posted an NFL-leading 135 catches with 1,749 receiving yards — both franchise records. The young receiver explains how it’s still a “surreal” feeling two weeks after he signed the contract.

“I’m just like, ‘Wait a minute, let’s enjoy this. Take a step back,’” says Lamb. “I just think about all the things that I’ve been through in my life and my family’s life and just continuing to grow as a man and be that pedestal for my brothers and my cousins and all my little ones that’s under me and obviously just being a leader to the community. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s so surreal.”

Although Lamb missed practicing with his teammates during training camp, he didn’t seem to miss a beat during the Cowboys’ season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns. Lamb posted a team-leading five receptions for 61 receiving yards in the 33-17 victory.

He explains that while his cardio isn’t up to his liking, he felt “amazing” during Week 1 and that his endurance will only go up the more reps and games he plays moving forward.

“I felt amazing,” says Lamb during his 2024 NFL season debut against the Browns. “Felt a bit of fatigue in the back end (of the game), but that’s where the difference is from training and playing football. I felt a slight step back, but as we go throughout these things and I get more practices, I’ll be back.”

Lamb reveals that he actually stayed in shape during his training camp absence while working out for three hours a day for three-to-five days a week. He says that he definitely missed the “camaraderie” with his teammates during training camp. The star receiver also says that he has yet to make any big purchases since signing his deal.

“I wish I went to training camp, I will say that, just to build that camaraderie with my guys — be that leader that I’m supposed to be,” says Lamb. “I can lead from a distance, but it’s nothing like the presence. I wish I was there for my guys, but I had to handle some business.”

The three-time Pro Bowl receiver is speaking on behalf of his partnership with BodyArmor, whom he has had a working relationship with for several years now. Lamb mentions how the popular sports drink actually helped him stay “hydrated” during his “difficult” workouts while holding out in training camp.

“Doing three-hour workouts for three-to-five days a week, I feel that’s pretty self-explanatory,” says Lamb. “The hydration process, it was very important, very imperative for me. I just knew that it was something that I needed to get done and stay on top of to come back and be in the right state of mind and physically in shape. BodyArmor helped get that done. The workouts were very difficult — and it was worth every bit of it.”

While the strawberry banana flavor is Lamb’s favorite BodyArmor drink, there’s a new limited edition drink featuring the Cowboys receiver on the bottle. Outside of it being available in only limited quantity, it’s notable because it features a “consumer AR
Arweave
experience.” What that means is that fans can scan the QR code on the bottle and it brings them to a bunch of interactive games in a digital combine, including how efficiently they can run routes.

“Grab your phone, put the picture on it and it’ll take you right to the link,” says Lamb. “At that point, you have fun. Show me your football skills, it’s fun on the power, that’s the whole objective here. I’m very excited to launch it. Can’t wait for the people to have it, can’t wait for the kids to have it.”

While Lamb is financially set for life, he details what he learned during the long negotiation period when it came to his contract.

“Trust in what you believe in, you’re not wrong — know your worth,” says Lamb. “What’s for you will be for you. I felt like I really stood on my gut and continued to be myself and understood my value to the team. I understand my value to the game and how much I put into it. Again, it’s surreal, I can’t really put into words because it happened so fast. But obviously, it took so long for it to happen. But throughout that journey, I’ve learned so much as far as maturing and composing myself mentally, developing different things, different traits and can’t wait to use it.”