CeeDee Lamb didn’t have the kind of season we’ve come to expect from one of the league’s most electric wideouts-but don’t let that fool you. While George Pickens stole some of the spotlight in Dallas this past year, Lamb’s 2025 campaign still offered plenty of substance, and maybe even more importantly, a dose of humility and leadership that speaks volumes about where this Cowboys offense is heading.
Let’s start with Pickens, who flat-out balled. The former Steeler turned heads all season long, racking up 1,429 receiving yards-good for third in the league behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
He earned second-team All-Pro honors and, at times, looked like the top dog in Dallas. But make no mistake: CeeDee Lamb never officially gave up that WR1 title.
He just had a teammate playing at an All-Pro level alongside him.
With the season now in the books, Lamb took a moment to reflect during an interview with Mike Florio and Chris Simms. And in classic CeeDee fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat anything.
“Dak balled out,” Lamb said. “I still feel like I could’ve did a lot more.
I had drops, injuries, I didn’t finish a couple of games. So, I feel like throughout the season, I played like 11 full games.”
That kind of honesty isn’t always common in the NFL, especially from a star player. But Lamb’s self-awareness is telling. He knows the standard he’s set for himself-and he knows he didn’t quite reach it in 2025.
The numbers back that up. Lamb’s early-season struggles were hard to ignore, especially in Week 1 against the Eagles, where he had four drops in a narrow loss.
That game alone could’ve swung the other way if he plays cleaner. By year’s end, he had eight drops-third-most among wide receivers, according to Pro Football Focus.
But here’s the thing: Lamb didn’t let that define his season. He tightened things up in a big way, going drop-free over the final six games. That’s not just improvement-that’s a player locking in when it matters most.
And while his final stat line-75 catches for 1,077 yards in 14 games-might not jump off the page by his lofty standards, it’s still strong production. From Weeks 7 to 17, he quietly averaged 85.1 yards per game. That’s WR1 output, plain and simple.
If there was ever a time for Lamb to have a “down” year, this was it. The Cowboys’ offense didn’t miss a beat, largely thanks to Pickens stepping up in a big way while Lamb dealt with a high-ankle sprain.
Jalen Tolbert also had a breakout season as the No. 2 option, but it was clear Dallas needed another top-tier weapon. Enter Pickens, whose midseason arrival via trade gave Dak Prescott another dynamic target-and gave the Cowboys one of the most dangerous receiving duos in the league.
What makes Lamb’s season even more impressive is how he handled all of it. Not just the injuries and the drops, but the emergence of another star in his own locker room.
He didn’t flinch. He didn’t complain.
In fact, he’s made it clear he’s fine with Pickens landing a bigger contract than him. That’s not just talk-that’s leadership.
Not every season is going to be a highlight reel. But what separates the greats from the good is how they respond when things don’t go perfectly.
Lamb owned his mistakes, elevated his game down the stretch, and embraced his role as a teammate first. That’s the kind of mentality that wins locker rooms-and playoff games.
So while Pickens may have grabbed the headlines in 2025, don’t sleep on CeeDee Lamb. He’s still that guy. And if this past season was a “down” year, the rest of the league should be on high alert for what’s coming next.