FRISCO, Texas (AP) — CeeDee Lamb appears to be recovering from a concussion and won’t miss a game as the Cowboys host Minnesota 10 days after their star receiver lost in Detroit.
Lamb was a full practice participant and spoke with reporters on Thursday, two strong signs that he will play Sunday night and not miss a game as the Cowboys (6-6-1) try to keep their playoff hopes alive. Dallas has four games remaining in the NFC East, 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia, and the Vikings (5-8) are on the brink of playoff elimination.
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The 2023 All-Pro said he is still technically in the concussion protocol.
“It’s a lot like eye work and eye discipline, I guess, essentially trying to beat myself down and see if I still have any remnants of the concussion,” Lamb said. “And I haven’t had any type of symptoms yet. For me, to be honest, it’s hard to rest right now. Doing everything, I know what’s required of me and kind of getting ahead of everything, especially with the extra 2-3 days we have off. I feel like that’s important.”
Lamb was injured in the second half of the team’s 44-30 loss to the Lions on December 4 when his helmet hit the turf hard and went out of bounds while trying to make a leaping catch in the end zone.
The 26-year-old appeared to experience unnatural stretching of his forearms and fingers, a neurological reaction known as the fencing reaction within seconds of head trauma. Quarterback Dak Prescott rushed to his side, and owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show a day later that the sight of the prone Lamb scared him.
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The prospect of Lamb returning so soon doesn’t faze Prescott.
“Zero worries,” the quarterback said. “Obviously, there were some emergencies that he needed to help with, but actually when I got there, he came back almost right away. I was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And he said, ‘Yeah. “He came back on Monday, doing some easy stuff and working out. From that point on, I was confident in the way he responded and he was great.”
Lamb said football players don’t have to worry about when they’ll get injured again, even if it’s a head injury.
“You’ve got to go out there and play your game and not overthink it,” Lamb said. “I’ve had a few injuries but I don’t think about it. I hit my head a couple of times. I don’t think about it. You have to keep going. It’s part of the game. That’s why playing football is so important and that’s why taking care of your body is even more important.”
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When Lamb exited the Detroit game, he had six catches for 121 yards. He recorded at least 100 yards receiving in five of nine games, not including the loss to Chicago when he sprained his ankle on his first touch. The injury caused Lamb to miss three games.
Lamb said he remembered everything from the moment the helmet dropped and couldn’t help but watch the replay because it was “all on my phone.”
“It was a surreal moment for me and myself, and it was really just a brief experience,” said Lamb, who was frustrated on the sidelines that he wasn’t allowed to return. “This is an opportunity for me to grow. It’s an opportunity for me and this game could be taken away from me at any time.”
