Almost three months after Justin Jefferson signed his massive contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys finally rewarded their top wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, with his own lucrative extension on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
According to Schefter, Lamb and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $136 million. It's a ton of money, however, the $34 million average annual value of his new deal is still lower than Jefferson's $35 million annual average, which means the Vikings star receiver is still the highest-paid non-quarterback in the entire NFL.
So, while it likely was unintentional, Dallas essentially confirmed on Monday that Jefferson should be regarded as the best non-quarterback in the league heading into the 2024 season.
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson still highest-paid non-QB after Dallas Cowboys reward CeeDee Lamb
To be fair to Lamb, he's coming off a very impressive 2023 campaign in which he finished with 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. His numbers have improved in each season of his NFL career since entering the league in 2020, and now all of his hard work has been rewarded by the Cowboys.
Lamb's extension not being signed until this point in the offseason and all of the drama surrounding the Dallas receiver in the last few months should also increase the immense amount of appreciation Minnesota fans already have for Jefferson even further.
The Vikings pass-catcher never used his contract negotiation to create controversy this offseason, and his deal was completed before the team even hit the field for this summer's training camp. It was just one more thing that Jefferson was able to do extremely well since joining Minnesota in 2020.
Despite all of their success since entering the NFL, both Jefferson and Lamb will have plenty to prove during the upcoming 2024 season.
After missing seven games in 2023, the Vikings receiver will be looking to prove everyone right this year that he is indeed the best non-quarterback in the entire league. As for the Dallas pass-catcher, he'll be attempting to prove that his very impressive performance last season wasn't a fluke.