CeeDee Lamb has spent enough time proving himself that the idea of him being overlooked feels backward. But that’s where things seem to be heading after a season that never quite let him breathe, even though the production kept coming.
Lamb’s 2024 campaign had the kind of wear-and-tear that can quietly reshape how people talk about a receiver. He dealt with drops early, then a high-ankle sprain sidelined him for three games. When he came back, he was clearly not at full strength, but he still managed to average 85.1 receiving yards per game from Weeks 7-17 before Dallas rested its starters in the finale.
That stretch didn’t get nearly enough attention, and Lamb’s latest update suggests he’s ready to make sure it does this time around. On The Mina Kimes Show at the 26:00 mark, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said he recently spoke with Lamb, who told him he hasn’t "felt this good or healthy in two years."
That’s a problem for everyone else.
Lamb has already shown he’ll play through pain. In Week 9 of the 2024 season, he suffered an AC joint injury in his right shoulder and kept going anyway. The hits kept coming, and so did the damage - he aggravated the injury on Thanksgiving and again in Week 16 before the Cowboys finally shut him down for the final two games.
He later said the shoulder issue took five (!) months of rehab and recovery. Even with Cooper Rush at quarterback and his numbers swinging from week to week, Lamb still finished fifth among receivers with 101 catches and eighth with 1,194 yards despite missing two games.
The next season brought more obstacles. Lamb was slowed by the ankle sprain, then suffered a concussion in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions. The timing was brutal: he had already piled up 121 receiving yards in the first half of a must-win game before the injury.
He cleared protocol in time for the next week and responded with six catches for 111 yards against a Minnesota Vikings defense described as elite. That kind of output makes it hard to argue he was anywhere close to fully healthy.
Still, his standing seemed to slip a bit. Plenty of people were quick to say George Pickens was the better player, leaning on the flashier moments and ignoring Lamb’s track record and his ability to line up all over the field.
If the eight drops - and half of them came against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 - really were just a blip, then Lamb has every chance to reset the conversation. With a clean bill of health for the first time in a while, the five-time Pro Bowler looks ready to remind the league why he belongs in the mix for the NFL’s best receiver.
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Traeshon Holden Is Forcing His Way Into A Cowboys Camp Battle
Traeshon Holden entered last years Cowboys camp as a name to watch, and he has kept himself in the conversation heading into this summer. The second-year receiver reportedly sat higher on the depth chart during minicamp than many around the team expected, a sign that his strong moments from a year ago have carried over enough to matter in a crowded receiver room.
Holden still has work to do before he can turn that momentum into a roster spot. Dallas wants more from him as a blocker and on special teams, the same areas that kept him from carving out a clearer role last season, but the path looks more open now with some moving parts in the receiver group. If he keeps building on what he showed in camp, he could make the final decision a lot harder than it looked a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]