"It was the worst ever" - CeeDee Lamb breaks silence on painful contract drama with Cowboys before signing $136,000,000 deal with Jerry Jones' team

CeeDee Lamb is a perennial Pro Bowler and the Dallas Cowboys' WR1. He has spent his entire professional football career with the franchise, and he's arguably one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

However, despite Lamb's consistent production in Dallas, there was drama before he signed his bumper $136,000,000 deal with Jerry Jones' team. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Lamb broke his silence on the process of getting an extension after his rookie deal.

"It was the worst," Lamb said on Friday. It was the worst ever, do you hear me? Like, for those who know me, they know how serious I take this football stuff. You know what I'm saying? Like, with everything in me. I put pride, body, mind, soul — everything I’ve got —i nto winning and the result of it, and obviously the preparation that goes into it.

"For me to miss out on the right preparation with my team, my quarterback, my guys, just building those bonds off the field. ... I missed out on that. And I’d be a fool if I said every day here in Miami, granted, the weather was nice, just as well as it is in LA or Oxnard, it wasn’t nearly as fulfilling as it would be if I was with my guys."

Lamb highlighted that it was a unique situation.

"I feel like that’s where I get to be myself on the field," Lamb said. "I get to show everybody what I like to do for a living, how much I cherish it, how much I’m committed to the game. You know what I’m saying? And yeah, bro, it was a unique situation. That was the first time I ever did that, and I’m praying it’s the last. It should be."

Lamb signed his four-year, $136 million deal on Aug. 26. It came after he skipped OTAs, minicamp, training camp and the majority of the preseason. Lamb's new deal includes a $38 million signing bonus and will keep him on America's team through the 2028 campaign.

What's next for CeeDee Lamb?

CeeDee Lamb missed the last two games of the 2024 regular season due to a shoulder injury. He ended the campaign with 101 catches, 1,194 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Lamb's performances earned him a second-team All-Pro selection and a Pro Bowl invite.

He enters the 2025 season looking to dispel any concerns about his durability after last season's injury concerns. He'll also have a new running mate in George Pickens, who joined the Cowboys after an offseason trade with the Steelers. This will be arguably Lamb's most talented WR teammate since Amari Cooper.

Lamb will look to help Dallas return to the playoffs. Dak Prescott will be back from injury, the Cowboys drafted smartly and the addition of Pickens will reduce the double and triple teams he faced over the past few seasons.

It's expected that Lamb will put up more impressive stats in his sixth season with Dallas. He has amassed 1,000+ receiving yards in every campaign aside from his rookie year.