Hold onto your cleats, folks, because the NFL’s wide receiver drama is heating up once again. Just like Odell Beckham Jr. before them, star wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson are giving their teams the cold shoulder – skipping out on voluntary offseason workouts signaling to their teams about the lucrative contract extensions.

“Voluntary is key,” Rapoport explained on NFL Total Access. “C.D. Lamb, the star receiver of the Dallas Cowboys, who no doubt has earned a big-time extension to make him among the highest-paid receivers in football, maybe the highest-paid receiver in football – he is not present in Dallas. No surprise. This has been the plan.”

Rapoport says the same story is playing out with Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings. “Similar situation for Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings star receiver, Kevin O’Connell disclosed today. He also is not at voluntary off-season conditioning.”

Jefferson, who is scheduled to earn $19.74 million this season, is widely seen as one of the best wide receivers in the game. His next contract is expected to top the $30 million annual salary Tyreek Hill just signed.

As for Lamb, he’s set to make $17.2 million this year, but the Cowboys wideout will likely command a huge extension of his own. Lamb was one of the best in 2023, posting similar numbers to Jefferson’s 2022 season. He caught 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns over 17 games.

This holdout strategy is straight out of the Odell Beckham Jr. playbook. Back in 2017, OBJ sat out Giants OTAs to send a message about his contract demands. It worked – Beckham ended up getting a monster deal.

How do Lamb and Justin Jefferson’s holdouts impact their teams?

Of course, the big question is how Lamb and Jefferson’s absence from offseason activities will impact their respective teams. Cowboys view Lamb as the engine of their offense, so his holdout could disrupt the squad’s chemistry and timing as they try to build momentum heading into the season.

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As for the Vikings, losing Jefferson, their top pass-catcher, during these voluntary sessions is hardly ideal. Without their star wideout, Minnesota’s offense may struggle to find its rhythm and sync up during the crucial preseason prep work.

This is the new reality in the NFL. The league’s top receivers know their worth and they’re not afraid to leverage their star power to get the bag. No more mister nice guy – it’s time to get that paper.