FRISCO, Texas – With the calendar turning to September, the Cowboys finally have a regular season game to play this month.
For Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, it's an exciting time.
"It's real now," Lamb said. "Everything that we've been preparing up to this point to get here, it's very exciting. I feel like everybody in the locker room is excited, as so myself. We've got to continue to put these things together, and then we finally get the opportunity to go out there and show the world what we can do together."
Lamb and fellow Pro Bowl WR George Pickens are especially excited about getting another opportunity to play alongside one another after Pickens signed his franchise tag to remain in Dallas for the 2026 season.
How much better can they be after combining for 2,506 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025?
"We can be real, real vicious together," Lamb said. "And I know that, he knows that. Every day we strive to do it. We've had a lot of success together, but I know there's much more out there for us."
One of the reasons that Lamb and Pickens had so much success last year was their close friendship, with Lamb taking it upon himself to welcome Pickens to the team as soon as Dallas traded for him ahead of the 2025 season. Since then, their relationship has only grown.
"That's my boy," Lamb said of Pickens. "I don't think he questions anything about where my loyalty stands with him and vice versa, I don't either. Just every day coming out here, able to compete, talk about different things, talk about life. I feel like we've gotten closer. I don't think you can get any closer than we are."
"Overall I feel like at the end of the day, we want what's best for each other, and that's to be with each other, and to grind. I feel like we both have that alpha mentality, that alpha dog component to us, so just rubbing off on one another and just keeping this thing going. We've got to keep being who we are, and at the end of the day prove it to each other every day."
Pickens was one of the biggest stars at camp, and Lamb made several highlight plays, but admitted that it wasn't his best camp. That said, he did say he's gotten the most out of it of any training camp he's been of because of the opportunity to try different things and see if they stick.
"I gained a lot of tools," Lamb said. "Combative tools, with easier, win smoother, win faster. I use camp to really try things. It's our first time competing against somebody else, so I want to know what works, what don't. So when we get to a situation like this, I'm overly confident in what I'm going to bring into the season, and then just go win."
Lamb got to test out his different releases and ideas against the Cowboys' new-look defense, led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. It's created a challenge for Lamb, but one that he sees a chance to grow from.
"It sucks to go against, especially in the slot because you're being bumped, you're being this, you're being that," Lamb said of the defense. "But then there's some good in it. You've got to play physical, you've got to match that type of energy. I love that these guys are playing together, they're communicating through the roof. You can tell that's been a point of attack throughout the meetings."
Facing up against him in the slot has been rookie first-round pick Caleb Downs, who will likely see a lot of snaps as the nickel corner in Parker's scheme. Even though it's only Downs' first training camp, he's made Lamb work for a lot of things, which doesn't come as a surprise to the veteran wide receiver.
"I feel like everybody that you go against, there's an opportunity to learn, right?" Lamb said. "Whether I win, whether I lose. If I win, alright, I like that release. What did I feel in it? It's just all about feel and execution. For him, it's his first fall camp, he has a lot of energy, he's real excited so I know I can't take anything off. It's a lot of mental things when you got a guy like Caleb. Again, he's nice, so it's not like I can just give him so BS and he'll go for it because he's not. So I find pleasure in that."
In 11 days' time, the Cowboys will open their season on the road against their NFC East rival New York Giants. Lamb isn't just looking forward to taking the field in the regular season again, but hopefully getting more chances to do some because of the new-look defense.
"I'm overly excited," Lamb said. "I can't wait to see those guys get after the QB, get a lot of coverage sacks, lots of fumbles, lots of turnovers. I'm excited to see that again. I'm excited to get the ball back, how about that?"
