CeeDee Lamb’s Joy and Appreciation for Football
CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys wide receiver, is known for his joyful personality. He smiles, moves past defenders with ease, and bonds with his teammates. This isn’t a new side of Lamb, but things are different now. The game has brought him a sense of joy and appreciation that he didn’t have last year.
Last year, Lamb was involved in a contract holdout with the Cowboys, which made him miserable. He would call his teammates to ask about the training camp practices he missed, and the uncertainty of his financial future with the team was taking a toll on him. Finally, on August 26, 2024, Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. His $34 million average salary is the third-highest at his position.
Now, with the 2025 season approaching, Lamb reflects on how much he missed the game and how it’s fueling him. “I love every part of being here with the guys, grinding, even when I’m tired,” Lamb said. “I think about last year, I wasn’t here, and I wasn’t tired, and just doing things that I love with my team and being better with my craft and having this helmet on and being able to talk to Dak and understand what he’s seeing, and those conversations, and those are the type of things that I missed.”
Contract Holdout and Its Effects
Lamb’s contract holdout had a significant impact on his performance last season. He didn’t believe that the lack of practice reps with quarterback Dak Prescott would bother him, but it did. During a 30-24 loss in San Francisco, Lamb felt like he wasn’t playing team ball enough, despite catching 13 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns. The big numbers didn’t mean anything to Lamb because his team lost.
The season spiraled out of control from there. Lamb suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, which forced him to miss the last two games of the season. “I did all that I could do to be available,” he said. “It was weird for me. It was new for me. It was my new norm, but it wasn’t normal for me.”
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb receives a pass during a training camp practice on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, at The Star in Frisco.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Origin of CeeDee
Lamb’s love for football started when he was growing up in Houston. His parents named him Cedarian DeLeon Lamb, but his friends, family, and teammates started calling him “See Dat,” then “CD,” and eventually “CeeDee.” He became a highlight reel player in youth football in Richmond, a suburb of Houston.
Darrick Reed, his youth football coach, was amazed by the plays Lamb made on the field as a 9-year-old. “We had a preseason party at my house, and he comes in, and he’s thin,” Reed said. “When you look at him, maybe he can play, maybe he can’t. Then our first practice we had with him, and you could see the potential. We could see him playing on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Reed said Lamb would make one-handed catches in practices and games. He had no fear of taking the ball from defenders and wasn’t afraid of contact. Lamb would sit at the kitchen table in Reed’s house, talking about every player on the opposing team. “He was that football savant,” Reed said. “God-given talent. A lot of guys have talent, but don’t have the work ethic. At 9 and 10 years old, he always wanted to play in the NFL.”
New Season, New Goals
Each year, Lamb writes down goals for himself. One of his goals is to play 17 games. Another is not to drop any passes. He has a goal of becoming a better blocker and a better leader. Lamb still talks about the mentorship he received from former teammate Amari Cooper, especially about route running. Brandin Cooks, another former Cowboys receiver, helped Lamb in the year before his contract holdout.
Lamb is so focused on making sure 2024 doesn’t occur again that he’s gained an appreciation for what the game has brought him. “I just remember being so young and loving this game each and every moment,” he said. “And getting better at practice and not being able to do that [is] what I missed.”
This season, he’s paired with George Pickens, another dynamic receiver whom the Cowboys acquired in a trade in the offseason. Lamb believes that with Pickens and a healthy Prescott, the Cowboys’ offense can be difficult to contain. “I feel like the league knows what happens when I’m healthy and to have Dak for a whole season,” Lamb said. “But if you don’t, I will happily show you this year what it’s going to be like. I’m a dominant receiver. I don’t like to speak highly of myself, but I can’t wait to show you guys.”
