Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb left with an apparent left leg injury in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.
Lamb is an important part of the Dallas offense, and without him, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had to adjust many things.
What Happened to CeeDee Lamb?
Lamb took a handoff from Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and was looking to gain yardage upfield. When he got tackled by a Bears defender, it looked like Lamb’s left ankle got caught under the defender’s leg.
Lamb headed to the blue tent on the Cowboys’ sidelines before eventually heading to the Dallas locker room. But he came back onto the sidelines and had his ankle taped back in the locker room.
Lamb’s ankle gets bent. Ugly. #Cowboys star gets a carry … and exits to the sideline with medical staff. pic.twitter.com/Rvsix5WA8C
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) September 21, 2025
Lamb returned to the game in the second quarter and ran a route, but could not continue. It was not a good sign as it led to the belief that the Cowboys star might have suffered a serious injury.
After the game, Lamb confirmed that he can play next week against the Green Bay Packers. “Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb said his ankle is all right. Said he “absolutely” feels like he can play next week,” wrote Cowboys insider Jon Machota on X.
On Monday, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones confirmed that Lamb has a high ankle sprain. “We’ve got to evaluate the full thing, see how he’s moving around as the day goes,” Jones said. “Certainly, he’s got a high ankle sprain and every one of those are different. We’d love to have him back for Green Bay, but we also have to understand the injury is what it is.”
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Lamb is unlikely to play in Week 4 against the Packers. “The Cowboys want to see how Lamb is doing the next 10-14 days before making further determinations about his status,” Schefter said about the star receiver’s status.
Cowboys insider Todd Archer later confirmed that Lamb is likely to miss significant time. “Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could miss 3-4 weeks with a high left ankle sprain suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, according to a source,” wrote Archer on X.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed that Lamb will miss at least the next two games, but the Cowboys are not planning to place him on the injured reserve.
How important is Lamb to the Cowboys’ offensive schemes? Here are some numbers from his first five seasons between 2020-24:
- 11th in receiving TDs
- 4th in catches (57 games with 5+ catches, also 4th most)
- 4th in targets
Cowboys Have an Option in George Pickens
The only salvation is that this year, the Cowboys have a much more formidable WR2 in George Pickens. Given the dismal nature of Dallas’ defense, Pickens would easily elevate into mid-fantasy WR2 territory at worst as the focal point of this passing game.
Additionally, as we saw in the immediate aftermath of Lamb’s departure, tight end Jake Ferguson will continue to play a large role. He should already be viewed as a weekly TE1. Since Lamb will miss time, he’s a top-eight option, at worst.
Lamb is as important as any wide receiver in the NFL. He was the 3rd overall WR by PFSN’s Impact grade two seasons ago (94.2) and was ranked 11th in the league through the first two weeks of the 2025 season with an 86.3 (B) grade.
Lamb has also accounted for 33.9% of the Cowboys’ receiving yards since the start of the 2023 season, the highest of any player in the NFL over that span.
