CeeDee Lamb set to catch multiple Cowboys WR legends in 2025
CeeDee Lamb is poised to make 2025 a big year. His numbers were down last season after a stellar 2023, but that can be chalked up to a series of unfortunate events: the midseason loss of Dak Prescott, his own shoulder injury that he tried to play through and then lost two games to, and a lack of receiving threats around him that might have spread defenses thinner.
Now healthy, with his starting quarterback returning, and in a new-look offense with George Pickens opposite him and Brian Schottenheimer's first-year staff eager to put their stamp on things, Lamb is eyeing a return to statistical form.
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He's also set to climb the charts in terms of Cowboys franchise history. Lamb is already, after just five seasons, the team's No. 7 all-time receiver in yards. And while Jason Witten and Michael Irvin's places atop the rankings are secure for several more years, the legends occupying the four spots in front of Lamb are all within his reach this season.
Here's a look at the Cowboys greats who Lamb could be catching before 2025 wraps up.
6. Bob Hayes: 7,295 yards
Oct 6, 1968; St. Louis, MO, USA, FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys receiver Bob Hayes (22) in action against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports
"The World's Fastest Human" was already an Olympic gold medalist by the time he joined the Cowboys in 1965. Over 10 seasons, the unprecedented speed he brought to the wide receiver position literally changed the way secondaries played the game, necessitating the invention of zone defense. "Bullet Bob" was the Cowboys' all-time touchdowns reception leader for over four decades and is in the team's Ring of Honor.
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Lamb will overtake Hayes for the No. 6 spot on the franchise's all-time receiving list with 957 more yards. That seems like a near-lock to happen in 2025; Lamb hasn't turned in a season with less than that since his rookie year. (And even then, he logged 935.)
5. Dez Bryant: 7,459 yards
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 19: Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball and scores a touchdown against Darrelle Revis #24 of the New York Jets in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 19, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by)
Bryant's dynamic career was cut short by injuries after leaving Dallas prior to the 2018 season, but the three-time Pro Bowler did enough over eight years as a Cowboy to land in the league's all-time Top 150 in receiving yards. He has been the franchise's career touchdown receptions leader since 2017.
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Lamb will need 1,121 yards to pass Bryant for the No. 5 spot on the Cowboys' all-time list. Recent history suggests he has a good chance; he's surpassed that total in each of the last three seasons.
4. Drew Pearson: 7,822 yards
Jan 18, 1976; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson (88) is chased by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Andy Russell (34) during Super Bowl X at the Orange Bowl. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys 21-17 to win consecutive Super Bowl championships. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports
An undrafted receiver out of Tulsa, Pearson went on to earn three first-team All-Pro nods, three Pro Bowl berths, and a Super Bowl ring en route to a place in the Ring of Honor and an eventual Hall of Fame enshrinement. Though he recorded just two 1,000-yard campaigns over an 11-year career, Pearson finished with over 7,800 receiving yards.
Lamb will catch him with 1,483 yards, and he'll claim the franchise's No. 3 all-time spot with one yard more.
3. Tony Hill: 7,988 yards
Unknown date; Irving, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; Washington Redskins defensive back Darrell Green (28) tries to intercept pass intended for Dallas Cowboys receiver Tony Hill (88) at Texas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
He's often a forgotten man when talking about the great pass-catchers in Cowboys history, but Hill played on two Super Bowl squads, won a ring as a rookie, led the team in both catches and yards nine years in a row, and earned three trips to the Pro Bowl. Coach Tom Landry once singled him out as Dallas's "home-run hitter" and said, "I've never seen a guy who could adjust to a ball in mid-air like Tony."
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He's currently third on the team's all-time receiving list, but Lamb will pass him for that slot with 1,650 more yards. That could be a tall order, even for Lamb; he has topped that mark just once, in 2023.
How many yards will Lamb post in 2025?
Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) makes a touchdown catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half during the wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Barring a serious turn of events, Lamb looks to climb the ranks of the Cowboys' all-time receiving yards leaders in 2025. But it likely won't happen until later in the season.
Could he move into the No. 6 spot before the Week 10 bye? Maybe. Back in 2023, Lamb did have a nine-game run where he tallied over 1,000 yards, but that stretch included three of Lamb's best four games ever, and five of his top 15. That's the kind of effort it would take once again to pass Hayes before the bye.
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Also playing a factor will be George Pickens. While his addition to the lineup will take some double-teams off Lamb and conceivably lead to more big-game opportunities for him, Pickens is another talented mouth who will need to be fed. How Brian Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott choose to distribute the ball will be huge in determining whether Lamb's numbers go up or down overall when the game plan doesn't have to run through him as the offense's only legitimate weapon.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb set to chase multiple franchise legends in '25
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Things haven't been perfect in Terry Francona's first year at the helm, but the starting pitching is one thing to feel good about. — Flores Record: 38-41 Last Power Ranking: T-13 Something to feel good about: The rotation The Rangers should trade 26 players to be named later for the Diamondbacks' lineup and have the best team in baseball. Then, in the offseason, they should trade their entire rosters back to each other and let the Diamondbacks have the best team in baseball for a while. This sort of roster-sharing might be 'stupid,' 'logistically impossible' and 'almost certainly in violation of 38 provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement,' but it would be a lot of fun from the outside. We all like fun, right? As is, the Rangers have the pitching in place, and they're just waiting for hitters to get hot. It's not an outlandish hope, with Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford all capable of much, much more. If you're going to have a lopsided roster, the Rangers have the hard part out of the way. Now they just need to score more runs. — Brisbee Record: 37-41 Last Power Ranking: 17 Something to feel good about: A nearly full season of Byron Buxton In case you haven't been paying attention, Buxton has already played 60 games this season, having put up 2.9 bWAR on 17 homers and 47 RBI to go along with his typically stellar defense. Advertisement To this point, the Twins have played 78 games, and with 84 games remaining, should Buxton play in all of them, it would give him 145 on the season. Do you know how many times Buxton has played 145 games? Never. The last time he even hit 140 was 2017, and since then, his career has been an amalgamation of 'What if' and 'If only.' Finally, at 31, Buxton is putting all of that to bed and showing just why he was baseball's No. 2 pick back in 2012. — Flores Record: 38-40 Last Power Ranking: 21 Something to feel good about: Everything about Bobby Witt Jr. By this point, it's been made abundantly clear that the Royals do not have a very good offense, and without Witt around, it'd no doubt be even worse. Which is why they can feel good about him, because he's a franchise star who teams (*cough* Red Sox) fall over themselves trying to find or retain. If it weren't for the exploits of Big Dumper in Seattle, we'd likely be having another Witt vs. Judge MVP debate, as the 25-year-old has put up 3.9 fWAR on a league-leading 26 doubles, 10 homers and 21 steals. His defense remains as immaculate as ever (100th percentile OAA), and those offensive numbers figure to grow (.866 OPS in June) as the summer goes on. 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Treat yourself. — Brisbee Record: 34-44 Last Power Ranking: 23 Something to feel good about: Félix Bautista looks like his old self Yes, we're grasping at straws here. Despite playing better baseball in June, the Orioles are still stuck in last place. Adley Rutschman just landed on the injured list. The prospect core still looks shaky. Some of the team's best trade candidates are leaking oil: outfielder Cedric Mullins and designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn have cooled off, while pitcher Zach Eflin has gotten smashed in his last two outings. At least Bautista, an All-Star closer in 2023 who missed last season after elbow surgery, hasn't given up a run since May 30. The Orioles may be reluctant to trade a player under team control through 2028, but his recent performance should merit some calls from rival executives. The Orioles should at least listen to offers. — McCullough Advertisement Record: 33-46 Last Power Ranking: T-24 Something to feel good about: James Wood? James Wood is pretty good An 11-game losing streak likely ruined any chances of Washington sneaking into the Wild Card discussion in 2025. Along the way, manager Dave Martinez caught some heat for defending his coaching staff. Blame the coaches, blame the front office, blame the players — there's plenty of blame to go around. But at least Nationals fans can watch Wood as he plays his way into an All-Star appearance next month. He swatted his 21st home run of the season on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, two days after his walkoff blast against Colorado ended the losing streak. — McCullough Record: 32-48 Last Power Ranking: 26 Something to feel good about: Bubba Chandler In 2017, the great philosopher Jay-Z asked, 'What's better than one billionaire?' The answer: Two. To baseball fans, I ask: 'What's better than one ace?' Also, two. That's what the Pirates have on their hands down in Indianapolis, and once Pittsburgh finally decides to call up the 22-year-old, it'll have a rotation topped by not one but two aces in Paul Skenes and Chandler. The former Clemson commit, who was the No. 19-ranked prospect by The Athletic's Keith Law, has had a rough June, but the potential is very much still there. It's another lost season in Pittsburgh, but knowing Chandler is just a phone call away from making his debut is one thing to feel good about. That, and seeing Skenes every fifth day. — Flores Record: 32-48 Last Power Ranking: 27 Something to feel good about: Jacob Wilson The A's are currently like Caine in 'Kung Fu,' just walking from town to town, meeting people and getting into adventures. But they will have a permanent home one of these days, and they've been locking players up in anticipation of that. Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker might be in the A's next permanent home, a part of the team's foundation. 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Or should the club wait to see if he continues to improve and try to trade him during the winter? Alcantara is still under team control through 2027. It's an interesting question. — McCullough Record: 25-54 Last Power Ranking: 29 Something to feel good about: Shane Smith The White Sox leader in fWAR (1.5), Smith, has posted a 2.85 ERA through 14 starts (72 2/3 IP). Barring some rather unforeseen circumstances, he will be Chicago's representative in Atlanta for the All-Star Game. Perhaps most noteworthy is that Smith wasn't even on the White Sox roster a year ago. A Brewers farmhand, Smith was the first selection in last winter's Rule 5 Draft by Chicago, after Milwaukee failed to add him to its 40-man roster. He made the Opening Day roster out of spring training and has rewarded Chicago's faith with some stellar starts. As Ken Rosenthal noted last week, if Smith makes the AL All-Star team, he'll be the first Rule 5 pick to do so in the first year after he was selected in that draft since Dan Uggla with the Florida Marlins in 2006. — Flores Record: 18-60 Last Power Ranking: 30 Something to feel good about: HUNTER GOODMAN OH, SWEET HUNTER GOODMAN, THANK YOU FOR EXISTING. IT HAS BEEN SO VERY DEMORALIZING TO COME UP WITH NEW WORDS ABOUT THE ROCKIES EVERY OTHER WEEK, BUT HERE'S SOMETHING THEY CAN ACTUALLY FEEL GOOD ABOUT. THEY HAVE A YOUNG, HOMEGROWN CATCHER HITTING THE SNOT OUT OF THE BALL. HE WILL BE AN ALL-STAR. BLESS YOU, HUNTER GOODMAN, FOR LETTING ROCKIES FANS FEEL GOOD ABOUT SOMETHING. BLESS YOU FOR HELPING THEM FEEL ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE. NO PRESSURE. — Brisbee
