The Dallas Cowboys’ season was over the moment Dak Prescott went on the shelf with a severe hamstring injury, but CeeDee Lamb battled all the way through until he couldn’t.
Lamb suffered what was eventually deemed an AC joint injury in his shoulder in Week 9 against the Falcons — the same game Prescott’s hamstring partially tore off the bone. Lamb aggravated the injury on multiple occasions before he was shut down for the final two games.
The fact Lamb played through the injury looks even more impressive now after he revealed just how grueling the rehab was.
“The longest [rehab]. I want to say a good five months of real recovery and rehab,” Lamb said, via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know. I’m grateful to have two arms. I can tell you that.”
Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb opens up about shoulder injury
That is scary stuff and makes what Lamb did last season just incredible.
With the Cowboys essentially playing for their pride for the final two months of the year, fans applauded Lamb’s willingness to continue suiting up instead of mailing it in. Nobody would have blamed Lamb if he decided to get the shoulder cleaned up.
It was an elite display of leadership and toughness. The two-time All-Pro likely would have gutted it out for the final two games. Fortunately, the Cowboys saved Lamb from himself and put him on the shelf after he aggravated the injury against the Buccaneers in Week 16.
Despite playing banged up for his final seven games, Lamb finished with the seventh-most catches (101) and eighth-most receiving yards (1,194) among wide receivers. Even more incredible when you remember Prescott missed the final nine games. He recorded at least six catches in six of the final seven games while injured and catching spirals from Cooper Rush.
Remember, Lamb inked a four-year, $136 million extension right before the season so he technically didn’t have anything to play for. But he wanted to be out there for his teammates.
It’s something that should stick with fans for the rest of No. 88’s career.
