CeeDee Lamb has been Dallas’ offense engine, but on Sunday night, Cowboys fans witnessed how thin and tenuous that lifeline is. Following a 31-14 defeat to the Chicago Bears, owner Jerry Jones addressed reporters with news on the team’s star receiver.

​While Jones was addressing, it became evident that although the Cowboys possibly escaped the worst-case scenario of a devastating injury, the future still isn’t certain, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver might still miss some games. He verified that the team doctors indicated CeeDee Lamb’s ankle injury isn’t as bad as it might’ve been. Jones stated, “Let’s just keep our fingers crossed.”

CeeDee Lamb had exited the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury and was not cleared for return. However, Jones’ tone was firmly optimistic. The injury happened when Lamb’s left leg awkwardly became stuck on a tackle after a rushing attempt. The Cowboys finished that drive with a score, trimming the Bears’ lead to 7-3.

He left the field right away, and trainers worked on him on the sideline. Lamb sat out the next 14 snaps over two series. Lamb was seen on camera with no shoes or socks as medical personnel worked on the ankle. Even though he was subsequently able to walk and stand, the Cowboys decided not to take any chances and did not permit him to play.

​Lamb’s absence makes Dallas thin at wide receiver. Before leaving Sunday’s game, Lamb had been the Dallas offense’s go-to guy over the first two weeks of the season. Prescott threw to him 24 times during that span, hitting on 16 passes for 222 yards. Even with the heavy usage, Lamb has not yet reached the end zone in 2025.

Without Lamb, the Cowboys turned to Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin to play alongside George Pickens. Pickens has big-play upside but doesn’t have the route diversity that makes Lamb such a consistent go-to target. Tolbert is still finding his role in the offense, and Turpin’s increased role may alter how Dallas uses its formations.

​Lamb attempted to come back.

​Jones emphasized that the Lamb’s ankle was good and again indicated that the receiver was attempting to return to the game. “You see the difference he can make in a ball game,” Jones explained, referencing Lamb’s effect on the short and deep passing attack.

He even returned for the first play of the second quarter. However, by the end of the drive he was once again on the bench. Dallas has developed an identity based on a passing game predicated on Lamb’s drawing defenders to create opportunities for others. Even a brief absence would alter the team’s offensive rhythm quite a bit.

What Lamb and the Cowboys worry about now is how much time the wideout could potentially miss. Well Lamb did address that, he claims that he’s all set to play next week against the Green Bay Packers.

​However, renowned sports doctor Dr. Deepak Chona of Sports Med Analytics offered more insight on social media, reviewing video of the injury and hypothesizing that it looked like a high ankle sprain. “Most do cause missed time but his ability to walk on it right away suggests lower severity. [Average two weeks] for mild cases.”

If Chona’s estimate is correct, Dallas may miss Lamb for several games, but the injury might be tolerable in the long run. The Cowboys are 1-2 and looking for offense consistency. Losing their top gun makes that difficult. How long it takes Lamb to heal and how well the other receivers fill the void might determine if Dallas remains competitive.

​For the time being, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are holding on to the silver lining: preliminary tests indicate no significant structural damage to Lamb’s ankle. But even an otherwise “mild” high ankle sprain can keep a player out of action for weeks, and Dallas will have to make plans accordingly.