While a dozen players have donned the famed No. 88 for the Dallas Cowboys since the franchise first joined the NFL in 1960, the real history surrounding the number really revolves around only four of those players, those being Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Dez Bryant, and, of course, CeeDee Lamb.
Now, some may recall that after Dallas drafted Lamb in the first round of the 2020 draft with the 17th overall pick, the Oklahoma alum, despite Jerry Jones requesting he do so, didn't originally want to wear the iconic number. Lamb obviously changed his mind, but that apparently came after a conversation with Irvin, a story the Hall of Famer recently shared.
"CeeDee called me because Jerry said then, 'I want to put him at 88. I want to put him at 88,'" Irvin said. "And I'm like, oh, we had no conversation yet, wait a minute. [Ceedee] said, 'I wanted to call you and talk to you about 88. Jerry's talking about it.' He said, 'Michael, I've always wanted to wear No. 2.'
I said, 'You gotta do what's gonna make you do what you gotta do every morning. If you wear 88, there's a whole lot that comes with that. As soon as you get it, you're going to raise the hope up of a whole Cowboys Nation, and it's a lot of pressure. If it's too much for you, we understand. You just wear the No. 2. If you are not him, we will keep searching for the next.'
"The next day, he said, 'I'm going to wear it. I'm going to do it.' Now go deliver, and he has delivered."
To echo what Irvin said, Lamb has absolutely delivered in his first six seasons. But CeeDee himself doesn't agree.
CeeDee Lamb says he hasn't "done anything yet" while wearing No. 88 for the Dallas Cowboys
When the clip of Irvin's story was shared on social media late last week, Lamb to his X account to offer up a personal response, saying "Just being honest. i haven’t done anything yet. Grateful always, Appreciate u Mike for sharing, I need more. No Greed just hunger."
Just being honest. i haven’t done anything yet. Grateful always, Appreciate u Mike for sharing, I need more. No Greed just hunger. https://t.co/leSIcWUIjO
— CeeDee Lamb (@_CeeDeeThree) May 1, 2026
One can only assume that when Lamb says that he hasn't done anything with the No. 88 yet, he's referring to the fact that he hasn't yet hoisted a Lombardi Trophy.
Dez Bryant, of course, never did either, but Irvin famously won three titles as an integral part of 1990s Dallas dynasty, and Pearson got himself a ring as well in the late 1970s.
Lamb undoubtedly deserves credit for seeing winning as the only accomplishment that matters, but when it comes to production, CeeDee certainly can't say he hasn't done anything. In fact, in looking at the stats for the first six seasons of each player's respective career, Lamb has already surpassed his fellow No. 88s in most categories.
Player | Games | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Drew Pearson | 86 | 280 | 4,687 | 23 |
Michael Irvin | 80 | 337 | 5,694 | 34 |
Dez Bryant | 84 | 412 | 5,825 | 59 |
CeeDee Lamb | 95 | 571 | 7,416 | 41 |
As you can see, the only reason Lamb doesn't take a clean sweep here is that Bryant caught a ridiculous 59 touchdowns in his first six seasons (2010-2015).
Otherwise, though, it's CeeDee all the way. And furthermore, just to prove how dominant he's been thus far, his 7,416 regular-season receiving yards are the eighth-most of any player in NFL history through their first six seasons.
So, while a Super Bowl is obviously the main goal, Lamb has unquestionably lived up to the pressure that comes with wearing No. 88, and his numbers are only going to get bigger in the coming years.
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