In eight career games against the Eagles, Lamb has 44 catches for 653 yards and five touchdowns.
Darius Slay didn’t keep it between the lines.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ All-Pro corner spoke out against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during an episode of his podcast Tuesday.
Slay gave a harsh take on the contract dispute between Jones and Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, which has kept Lamb out of training camp and all other team activities this summer.
“It would be hard for me to play for an organization like that,” Slay said of Jones’ Cowboys. “A guy that’s just not willing to take care of his guys.”
Slay compared Jones to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
“I know y’all see how Howie gets stuff done. … You can see when a team and an organization that appreciates what you do for their team. They take care of you,” Slay said.
Slay even encouraged Lamb to sit out games during the regular season if he doesn’t get the contract extension he’s looking for.
Slay compared Jones to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
“I know y’all see how Howie gets stuff done. … You can see when a team and an organization that appreciates what you do for their team. They take care of you,” Slay said.
Slay even encouraged Lamb to sit out games during the regular season if he doesn’t get the contract extension he’s looking for.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Darius Slay Jr. runs with the football against the Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb at Lincoln Financial Field. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“Hold out each Eagle game,” Slay said. “You can play everybody else, just hold out each Eagle game. Just say, ‘I’m holding out against the Eagles,’ because I know Jerry cares about that game a lot. He doesn’t like losing to us.”
Slay is familiar with how Lamb can affect a game. Slay joined the Eagles in 2020, the same year the Cowboys drafted Lamb in the first round out of Oklahoma. In eight career games against the Eagles, oftentimes with Slay guarding him, Lamb has 44 catches for 653 yards and five touchdowns.
Jones said Aug. 8, “I don’t have any urgency to get it done,” regarding Lamb’s contract. Lamb responded to a post on X of Jones’ comments with “lol.”
As of Saturday morning, “America’s Team” no longer appears in the bio section of Lamb’s X account. He also changed his header to a photo of him and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, his former teammate at Oklahoma.
The Cowboys have removed Lamb from their active roster, moving the star receiver to the Reserved/Did Not Report list.
Lamb hasn’t attended the team’s voluntary workouts or a mandatory minicamp and is now holding out of training camp, which makes him subject to fines of $40,000 per day for each practice missed. He is due $17.9 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb makes a catch against Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor during the first half at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 30, 2023. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network)
Jones has since sent a public follow-up message to Lamb during the organization’s “Countdown to Kickoff” show before the Cowboys took on the Los Angeles Rams in their first preseason game.
“The bottom line is, what it is is, no, there’s not that urgency. Now, I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you’re anxious about and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not. Well, CeeDee, you’re missed, OK? But you’re not missed out here competing, and it doesn’t put any pressure, anyplace on us. It’s not pressure out here today and in practice,” Jones said.
Slay also pointed to how his Eagles teammate, wide receiver A.J. Brown, signed a three-year extension, averaging $32 million this year, which will ultimately increase the value of Lamb’s potential deal.
CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jones attend Michael Rubin’s 2024 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at the Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Feb. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Fanatics)
The wide receiver market was reset this offseason when Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was drafted in the same class as Lamb in 2020, received a four-year, $140 million deal with $110 million guaranteed.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signed for $30 million per year in his latest deal. Meanwhile, Miami Dolphins superstar Tyreek Hill restructured his deal for another three years at $30 million per year.
Lamb is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season and also earned his first All-Pro selection in 2023. His season included 135 receptions, which led the NFL, for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, all career highs.