Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb appeared to be in pain after going down hard late in his club’s Week 9 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Here’s the latest on Lamb from Sunday.
What Happened to CeeDee Lamb?
Lamb seemed to be battling a right shoulder issue throughout Sunday’s game. He received attention from trainers throughout the first half but never entered the medical tent or exited the contest.
Lamb landed hard on that shoulder while trying to reel in an end-zone attempt from Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush, who replaced Dak Prescott (hamstring) at the start of the fourth quarter.
CeeDee Lamb was slow to get up after this play. pic.twitter.com/wWIutqK5WJ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 3, 2024
Lamb stayed down on the field and appeared to be in significant pain. However, he did not go into the medical tent.
Additionally, FOX’s broadcast reported that Lamb waved away Dallas’ trainers and the rest of the club’s medical staff, potentially signaling that he isn’t dealing with a significant shoulder issue.
After the game, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Lamb “is dealing with a right AC joint issue with his shoulder” and added that he will have an MRI to evaluate the severity.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is hopeful that the star wide receiver can play through the injury since he was able to return on Sunday against the Falcons.
CeeDee Lamb is dealing with a right AC joint issue with his shoulder. He'll have an MRI, but Jerry Jones was hopeful Lamb can continue to play since he returned to action vs. Atlanta.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 3, 2024
Lamb led the Cowboys with eight receptions on 10 targets, finishing with 47 receiving yards (second to only tight end Jake Ferguson).
Did Lamb Return in Week 9?
The Cowboys officially labeled Lamb as questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Surprisingly, he returned to the game at the two-minute warning with the Cowboys down 27-13.
Dallas had a 2nd-and-1 from Atlanta’s 8-yard line when Lamb re-entered Sunday’s contest. With Prescott having already suffered an injury, the Cowboys seemingly had little to no incentive to put their star wideout back into Sunday’s contest, but he returned nonetheless.
The Cowboys will face the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants over the next four weeks. Dallas already had its bye in Week 7, leaving Lamb no week off to recover.
Lamb’s ability to return on Sunday should bode well for his Week 10 availability. Still, his practice participation will be worth watching throughout the week.
Fantasy Impact of Lamb’s Injury
This offense is falling apart. Should Lamb miss time, fantasy managers are going to be left without much in the way of adds. Jalen Tolbert would profile as the primary beneficiary, but that doesn’t mean he’s a fantasy starter. If you want to build out your depth, go ahead and add him, but it’s not a needed move.
— PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe
PFN+ Analysis on Lamb’s Injury
Despite the struggles for the Cowboys’ offense, Lamb was still ranked 16th in our WR+ metric entering Week 9. If his season were to end in Week 9, this would grade as his second-best season, behind only his 2023 performance, which is the seventh-best performance overall in our database.
Lamb has remained a consistent weapon. He was seeing a 28.1% on-field target share and was targeted on more than a quarter of his red-zone routes.
The one slightly underwhelming part of his performance this season was a -2% catch rate over expectation, which was on pace to be the lowest of his career entering Week 9.
— PFN Analyst Ben Rolfe