Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb isn't expected to attend the start of the team's voluntary offseason program, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Lamb is due to earn nearly $18 million in 2024 from the fifth-year option in his rookie contract, but the absence of an extension is bound to become a bigger story as the offseason unfolds.

There was plenty of movement in the wideout market in free agency and DeVonta Smith just agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Lamb and others in the top rungs of the position might be in a bit of a holding pattern, though.

Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson is likewise headed for free agency in 2025. Should he re-sign with Minnesota before then, one would presume he'll reset the market. For Lamb, there's an incentive to waiting and seeing what Jefferson could get for the Vikings. Granted, he'd probably be more than willing to sign now for the right money.

The Cowboys are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They'll obviously want to keep a player who had a league-high 135 receptions along with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. Managing the salary cap is critical for Dallas, though, when quarterback Dak Prescott is another impending free agency and edge-rusher Micah Parsons can get there in 2026.

The absence of any long-term certainty on the cost of Prescott is especially important. Knowing what he makes beyond 2024 would give the Cowboys a better idea of what is a manageable offer for Lamb.

Lamb has too much on the line to sit out next season, but Monday's news provides a glimpse into what could be an increasingly fraught dynamic the longer his future is unresolved.