Lamb, who has been dealing with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder since a Nov. 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which has gotten worse practically weekly, underwent further exams and scans this week that revealed the problem had deteriorated. With the Cowboys officially eliminated from the playoffs, they decided to bench their top wide out.
In a statement, the club stated he is not expected to require surgery and should recover fully after a “process of treatment and rehabilitation.”
Lamb joins quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring), right guard Zack Martin (ankle), defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), and cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) as the Cowboys’ sixth Pro Bowler to miss the season due to injury.
DaRon Bland, a Pro Bowl cornerback, spent the first ten games of the season on injured reserve until returning from left foot surgery on November 24. Micah Parsons, a Pro Bowl pass rusher, missed four games earlier this year with a high ankle sprain but was not placed on injured reserve.
Lamb, who signed a four-year, $136 million extension in August that made him the NFL’s second-highest-paid receiver (behind Justin Jefferson), is second in receptions with 101 and third in yards with 1,194, despite playing the last seven games with backup quarterback Cooper Rush due to Prescott’s injury.
Lamb has two 100-yard games in a row against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of which he reached triple figures in the first half. Lamb’s snaps in the second half were limited after he landed on his shoulder during a 52-yard reception against the Buccaneers in the second quarter last week.
The Cowboys changed their practice schedule this week to accommodate Christmas. Thursday marked their first complete workout of the week, building up to Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Replacing Lamb will prove challenging. Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert will be their top two wide receivers, with Jonathan Mingo, Ryan Flournoy, and Jalen Brooks making up the 53-man roster. The Cowboys could promote Jalen Moreno-Cropper or Kelvin Harmon from the practice squad.
When asked before the team’s announcement what the Cowboys will lose without Lamb, Rush remarked, “Obviously his production. You are welcome to speak about that. It’s difficult to replace so much production. There are some males ready. We have dudes. We have a really deep receiving room. A bunch of brilliant dudes that can’t wait to play.”
Lamb became only the third player in NFL history to reach 100 receptions in three of his first five seasons, after Michael Thomas and Brandon Marshall. Lamb has 496 receptions in his first five seasons, trailing only Thomas (510) in that category.
Parsons had high respect for Lamb when he spoke in the locker room on Thursday.
“I think for CeeDee, what’s so impressive is he might be the best player I’ve seen with my own eyes,” Parsons told the media. “Man, he just loves football. I don’t think anyone should ever question how much CeeDee contributes to the team. He’s quarterback-proof. I’ve seen him get 1,000 yards with Andy Dalton. I’ve seen him reach 1,000 with Dak Prescott. I’ve seen him reach 1,000 with Cooper Rush. You give grace to all these other wide receivers and say, ‘Oh, they’re not producing because they don’t have a quarterback,’ but CeeDee has proven time and again that he can do it with anyone throwing him the ball. He can find a way to open. He is competitive. He’s a dog. In terms of what he’s going to fight through, I just don’t think he’s comparable. That’s why I consider him the best.”
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