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A week ago, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he never thought about not getting a deal done with hold out receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Certainly, there were anxious moments among the coaching staff, Lamb and Cowboys fans.
But Jones never batted an eye because he knew a deal was always going to get done that would have Lamb on the field for the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
Jones proved prophetic and true to his word on Monday when the Cowboys and Lamb came to terms on a four-year, $136 million contract extension, that included a record $38 million signing bonus for a wide receiver, a source confirmed.
The contract makes Lamb the second highest paid non quarterback and receiver in the NFL behind Minnesota Vikings’ star Justin Jefferson, who got a four-year deal for $140 million in June.
Lamb was scheduled to make $17.9 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal was he never intending on playing in 2024 with a contract extension that paid him as one of the top receivers in the NFL.
Lamb led the league in catches and set a franchise record in yards receiving in 2023.
He boycotted the offseason program, OTAs, minicamp and all of training camp as leverage towards a new deal.
His hold put of more than five weeks since the start of training camp is now over and Lamb is set to rejoin the Cowboys for the first time since the season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers last January in the wildcard playoffs.
He will now have just under two weeks to ramp to be ready to go for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Browns.