CeeDee Lamb Collides with Official During Cowboys' Preseason Opener

During the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, CeeDee Lamb found himself at the center of an unexpected sideline incident. The star receiver, dressed in street clothes, was struck from behind by a sprinting official while standing too close to the field.

The collision occurred in the second quarter, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for the Cowboys due to contact with an official. Lamb was signaling to teammates as he watched a deep pass attempt unfold when the official, focused on the play, inadvertently crashed into him, sending both tumbling onto the turf at SoFi Stadium.

Referee Alex Moore explained the situation to reporters, stating, "CeeDee Lamb was standing in the restricted white border area, which is our area to officiate the game. The official on the play was focused solely on doing his job and he ran into CeeDee Lamb, who was standing in that restricted area. That's what happened. And with that contact, it's an automatic foul."

Despite the impact, Lamb quickly recovered and shared a laugh with teammates about the incident. However, the penalty cost Dallas 15 yards, negating a significant 51-yard gain that had resulted from a simultaneous pass interference call against Rams defensive back Shaun Jolly.

Social media buzzed with reactions to the unusual occurrence, with fans and commentators sharing their takes throughout the night and into Sunday. Lamb himself contributed to the lightheartedness by posting a video on his Instagram story, captioned, "I feel like everyone needs a laugh."

Moore noted that such incidents are rare but can happen: "Normally we don't have anybody standing that deep into the restricted area, or that type of forceful contact. So, it is a rare occurrence, but it does happen from time to time."

Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer expressed his disappointment regarding Lamb's sideline positioning, acknowledging it was an accident but emphasizing the need for discipline. "Just like the pre-snap penalties, that penalty, we've got to be better with discipline," Schottenheimer remarked. "I hope the guy's OK. I think he's OK, the official that he ran into, but we have to be better than that. CeeDee knows better. We know better."

Notably, Lamb, along with Dak Prescott and other key players for both teams, did not participate in this preseason matchup, which saw many starters resting ahead of the regular season.