Is it time to panic about CeeDee Lamb’s contract denial? If not, it will be soon, as the Dallas Cowboys’ regular-season opener is officially less than a month away. While the contract denials of numerous star players stretched into September, Jerry Jones made the situation even more tense this week when he said he felt the urgency to sign Lamb before the end of training camp.

Although Jones’ words were taken out of context, there was no reason for him to irritate the proverbial bear. Lamb, who is always inactive on social media, caught wind of Jones’ viral comment and responded in the form of a sarcastic laugh. It’s clear that Lamb didn’t find any of this funny.

There’s no reason to believe the relationship between Lamb and the Cowboys is hostile or strained, but it’s never wise to discount the value of a superstar, and Jones further got Dallas in trouble when he offered a half-hearted apology before Sunday’s preseason game against the Rams.

“I think I got in trouble for that the other day when I said, ‘Look, we’re not in a hurry about CeeDee.’ Well, nobody appreciates CeeDee being on the field more than I do,” Jones said. via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports“I completely understand the fear of missing you or not. So, CeeDee: I miss you.”

“But let me say this: If he had been here, he wouldn’t be out here playing today. You have to use your head when you’re exposing key players. … We know exactly what CeeDee can do.”

Jones is notoriously stubborn, so it’s very likely that someone whispered in his ear to be nice to Lamb in public. For this reason, we find it difficult to give Jones credit for “apologizing.”

Wouldn’t a full understanding of “fear” be to do something about it instead of… doing absolutely nothing? If Lamb was truly missed, wouldn’t Jones pull out all the stops to get him into training camp? That’s why Jones’ apology is so difficult to take to heart. If fans can see through Jones, don’t you think Lamb can, too?

Many Cowboys fans have become jaded by Jones’ desire to make a splash in the media. He has done so before in the midst of tense contract negotiations. During Ezekiel Elliott’s walkout last year, Jones was famously quoted as saying, “Zeke who?” after Tony Pollard had a strong preseason game.

It’s all part of Jones’s scheme. He’s a genius when it comes to making the Cowboys a national topic of conversation, but it says a lot that fans are collectively begging him to stop stepping in front of the microphone.

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