The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly going to be without wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for the remaining two games of the season after the team opted to shut him down for the season due to a shoulder injury.
Lamb has dealt with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder since the Cowboys’ Week 8 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, with the wide receiver choosing to play through the injury for the majority of the season.
Despite Dallas choosing to shut Lamb down for the remainder of the season, the team said in a statement that he is not expected to undergo surgery and should make a full recovery through the “process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder.”
Lamb has been vocal about his shoulder injury and its effect on his play this season, with the wide receiver often grimacing from the pain and stiffness in his shoulder when he is tackled during games.
“My shoulder is out of whack. I’m not even gonna lie to you,” he said after the Cowboys’ Week 16 win over Tampa Bay, per The Cowboys. “I’m just out there battling and doing what I gotta do.”
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush said that Lamb’s presence and production will be missed, but added that this team has found a good rhythm and can still produce at a high level to finish the season.
“His production [will be missed], you can speak on that,” Rush said, according to The Cowboys.
“But there are guys who are ready. We’ve got a really deep receivers’ room with guys that are champing at the bit to go and play.”
Despite the dropoff of play at the quarterback position this season for the Cowboys, Lamb has produced at an impressive level throughout the year, ranking third in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,194 yards while also being tied for the second most receptions in the league with 101.
With the Cowboys officially eliminated from the 2024 playoffs, the final two games this season can help provide insight into which players should remain on the roster for the 2025 season.
Dallas will now likely look to former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert and former seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks to become the team’s leading wide receivers for the next two games.
The two young players will have difficulty putting together enough production to make up for Lamb’s absence, as Tolbert and Brooks have combined for just 647 receiving yards and 53 receptions.
Although the two players have also combined for seven receiving touchdowns this season, Tolbert has accounted for six of those touchdowns.
Dallas will now look ahead to a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at 11 a.m., followed by a Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders in a game that could have important consequences on the NFC playoffs.