Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. What does this mean and how does it affect Lamb’s status for the 2024 season?
Here are the most important facts about the NFL Commissioner’s exemption list.
What is the Commissioner’s Exemptions List in the NFL?
The NFL’s Player Personnel Manual defines the Commissioner’s Exempt List as “a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances,” according to NFL.com. The list is intended to serve as a placeholder and give NFL teams some flexibility in roster selection. The designation prevents a player from counting toward a team’s active roster limit of 53 players.
How does the Commissioner’s Exceptions List work?
The commissioner’s exemption list is essentially a paid vacation. While on the list, players are not allowed to play football. Instead, they are allowed to attend meetings and practices and receive medical treatment at the team facility.
Only NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell – not a team – has the authority to place a player on the exempt list. The commissioner also has sole authority to determine the length of time a player stays on the exempt list and when that player returns to the active roster.
A player can end up on the list for a variety of reasons, but it has become more commonly used since 2014, when then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was placed on the list for a full season due to child abuse allegations.
In recent years, the list has also included Michael Vick (2009), Jonathan Vilma (2012), Greg Hardy (2014), Josh Brown (2016), Reuben Foster (2018) and Kareem Hunt (2018).
Why is CeeDee Lamb on the Commissioner’s exemption list?
Lamb was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List when the Cowboys were granted a two-game roster exemption. The designation allows Dallas to not use a roster spot for Lamb while the three-time Pro Bowler returns to form after missing training camp.
Lamb waited before signing a four-year, $136 million contract extension. The deal included a $38 million signing bonus, a record for a wide receiver, and $100 million guaranteed. With an annual average of $34 million, Lamb ranks second among receivers, behind only Justin Jefferson of the Vikings.
Who else is currently on the Commissioner’s exemption list?
Cleveland Browns rookie defensive lineman Mike Hall Jr. has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on domestic violence charges. Hall has pleaded not guilty to one count of domestic violence.
Hall is prohibited from attending or participating in games and is prohibited from practicing. However, the Browns may allow him to come to their facility to participate in meetings, individual training sessions, therapy, rehabilitation and other permitted non-football activities.
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