Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb experienced a decrease in performance following his 2024 holdout, after leading the NFL in receptions the previous year. Lamb missed both the offseason program and training camp amid contract negotiations before signing an extension just ahead of the season. When asked before a game against the San Francisco 49ers whether missing training camp affected his chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, Lamb stated, “Absolutely,” and added, “I’m going to be truthful. I will say it’s not going to be just a pickup from what we were at the end of the season (in 2023). But with everything, the work we’ve had built up, we’ll be fine.”
Lamb’s numbers declined to 101 catches for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns for the year. He also recorded 11 drops according to TruMedia.
Other recent cases show varied results. Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals reported for training camp but did not practice initially due to his own contract dispute; he began practicing shortly before opening day and went on to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns during the season. The Bengals later signed him to a record-setting contract.
Historically, some players have thrived after holdouts while others have struggled. In 1993, Dallas running back Emmitt Smith missed all of training camp and two regular-season games during his contract dispute but then won league MVP honors and led Dallas to a Super Bowl victory that year. Cornerback Darrelle Revis held out with the New York Jets in 2010 but earned first-team All-Pro honors afterward; guard Zack Martin of Dallas achieved similar success following his own contract standoff.
However, there are examples where holdouts correlated with less favorable outcomes. Running back Ezekiel Elliott’s performance declined after his 2019 holdout with Dallas. Melvin Gordon endured one of his worst seasons after missing games for Los Angeles in that same year. While Nick Bosa returned from a brief absence in 2023 to produce solid results for San Francisco, he acknowledged challenges related to missing preseason work: “I think a little bit,” Bosa said when asked if his holdout had negatively impacted him. “I think I’m trying to work on stuff on the run this year that I wasn’t able to do in camp. So, those games that I mentioned, the two, I think I was thinking too much because I was trying to add something to my rush plan, which is not what I want to be doing during the season. I want to be locked in on what I do best and just doing it throughout the whole year. But there’s no excuse at this point for that.”
Health is another concern as players return from absences or limited participation linked to contracts or disputes. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed injury risks by saying: “At the end of the day, you’ve got to do change of direction (…) You have to do things. It’s not just getting on a treadmill. We don’t do that. There has to be change of direction and things like that. Certainly, injuries are a part of the game. I have complete faith in our strength staff, our trainers and all of that stuff that they’re doing the things that they need to do for him [Micah Parsons] to go out and perform well.”
The uncertainty around player readiness amid these situations continues into this NFL season as contract issues involving players such as Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), Terry McLaurin (Commanders), and Micah Parsons (Cowboys) remain unresolved or ongoing.
Past seasons demonstrate there is no simple formula linking preseason holdouts or reduced participation with clear positive or negative outcomes on field performance or health.
