Practice and time with their teammates are not the only things CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk are missing out on by skipping their respective team's mandatory minicamp. By choosing to stay home, both wideouts are also forfeiting a significant amount of money.
If both players skip all three days of minicamp, the total fine tally will reach $101,716 (via ESPN). Players are fined $16,953 for skipping the first day, $33,908 for the second day and $50,855 for the third day.
The irony is that both players are skipping minicamp (thus losing money) due to their desire to get better compensation in the form of new contracts. Both Lamb and Aiyuk are currently slated to play under their fifth-year options in 2024 that would pay them $17.991 million and $14.1 million for the upcoming season, respectively.
While that's not chump change, both of those figures are grossly lower than Lamb and Aiyuk's projected market value. Lamb, who last season set Cowboys' single-season franchise marks for receptions and receiving yards, has a projected market value of $34 million annually, per Spotrac. Aiyuk, who played an integral role in the 49ers' NFC championship run last season, has a projected market value of $26.5 million annually.
At this point, it appears that Lamb is closer to receiving a new deal than Aiyuk, who was reportedly on the trading block earlier this offseason. Along with Lamb, the Cowboys also have contract hurdles regarding quarterback Dak Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons. But it looks like Lamb's contract will get resolved before both of his teammates. The Cowboys appear to be content playing the season out with Prescott, who is under the last year of his current contract. Parsons, who has one year remaining on his rookie deal, has said that he is not rushing to sign a new deal.
For Aiyuk, the question is less about what he wants and much more about what the 49ers intend to do with him. At this point, it's clear that the 49ers don't want to give Aiyuk what he is asking for, so they can either deal with a disgruntled player in 2024 or trade him elsewhere if the two sides aren't going to agree on an extension.
