The Dallas Cowboys entered the season expecting to have one of the best passing offenses in the NFL. One of the main reasons for that was the presence of All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He was off to a good start this season, reaching the century mark in yards across the first two games of the year.
However, he suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of their Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears. That injury will hold Lamb out 2-4 weeks, and the good news is that he has not been placed on IR.
CeeDee Lamb Hopeful to Return Soon
With the Cowboys choosing not to put Lamb on IR, that likely means they feel good about the chances of him returning within four weeks. Dallas will need Lamb back as soon as possible because their offense may be in trouble without him. Dak Prescott and company will now look to George Pickens to take over as WR1.
Ceedee Lamb left today’s game with possible “High ankle sprain” Timeline to return is dependent on severity
Grade I: 1-2 weeks
Grade II: 4-6 weeks pic.twitter.com/n3rT7gZC4e— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) September 21, 2025
He was brought to Dallas with the idea of adding explosiveness to the passing game. According to PFSN’s wide receiver impact metric, through the first three weeks, Pickens has earned a grade of 76.7, a C.
It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys’ offense evolves with Pickens at WR1, replacing Lamb. Facing the Green Bay Packers will not help matters, as they have one of the best defenses in football.
The Cowboys will have to change their offense without Lamb, and that may include relying more on the run game. Javonte Williams has gotten off to a great start this season, and he should continue to be utilized in their new and improved rushing offense.
Dallas Hoping to Avoid 1-3 Start
Week 4 is a massive one for the Cowboys as they hope to avoid a 1-3 start to the season. Despite being at home, they are seven-point underdogs. We have yet to see a game where the Cowboys have consistently gotten stops on defense. They have been tormented through the air, and that could be a problem with Jordan Love coming to town.
No matter what the Cowboys’ offense looks like, they will have no chance to win if they cannot string together stops. It will be interesting to see what changes they make on defense to try to simplify things. Emotions will be high in this game with Micah Parsons making his return to Dallas.
These two teams seem to be headed in different directions, but it should still make for an exciting early-season matchup.
