Disgruntled Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb posted a cryptic message on social media amid his contentious contract talks with the team.
Lamb has been holding out since the start of training camp and has missed a pair of preseason games. The Cowboys are confident Lamb will be on the field for Week 1 but have some work to do on the negotiations.
Lamb stirred up even more speculation on Monday, August 19, by sharing a photo of Spider-Man pulling down his mask while wearing the black symbiote suit. With no caption or explanation, the post has left everyone guessing about its meaning.
CeeDee Lamb just posted this on IG 😳
Some speculated that the meaning behind the post was that Lamb is coming to terms with being the villain. When Spider-Man dons the black suit in the 2007 film “Spider-Man 3,” he becomes more aggressive, arrogant and reckless.
“This doesn’t seem like a good thing,” one commenter wrote. “Jerry didn’t meet his contract demands, so now he requested a trade and is ok being the villain for it.”
Others took it as a good sign for the Cowboys, perhaps hinting that he is ready to suit up and get back on the field with his team.
“He’s putting his mask back on which indicates he’s suiting up, has to be,” another fan wrote.
Cowboys Remain ‘Optimistic’ About CeeDee Lamb Negotiations
The negotiations between the Cowboys and Lamb’s reps met via phone on Thursday, August 15, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.
Dallas’ offer to Lamb is approaching $33 million per year, which would make him the second-highest-paid receiver behind only Justin Jefferson ($35 million).
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said the Cowboys remain optimistic about a deal getting done but still have much to work out.
“It really doesn’t feel like they’ve gotten to a point where they know the annual salary, where they know the contract length, where they know the real structure of the contract where it becomes guaranteed money,” Darlington said on the August 19 episode of “Get Up.”
“So, yes, it could all come together very quickly, but we don’t really have any of those things feeling like there is any reason to think it is imminent. So, the best I can tell you is that behind the scenes, the Cowboys remain optimistic but until they get much closer to that number — that contract that Justin Jefferson has at $35 million a year — and maybe it doesn’t have to be all the way there. We’re not there yet.”
Cowboys Expect Lamb on Field for Week 1
Lamb’s Cowboys teammates have vocally supported him during his holdout. That includes defensive star Micah Parsons, who said he was confident the All-Pro will be on the field for the first time to face the Cleveland Browns on September 8.
“Obviously, we miss him,” Parsons said, per the Cowboys’ official site. “He’s one of the best people you can have in a locker room. I’m pretty sure he’ll be here soon.
“CeeDee is a part of this brotherhood whether he likes it or not. He knows he’s not going anywhere. The business side, they’re gonna take care of it — no doubt about it. … On Week 1, he will be suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys.”
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns.
