Troy Aikman recently didn’t hold back when critiquing the Dallas Cowboys‘ receivers, calling out their “terrible routes” and “lazy” effort off the line. Aikman, who’s as close to the Cowboys organization as any former player, shared his candid thoughts on Dallas’ 1310 The Ticket, expressing frustration with the current performance. “I think the routes are terrible,” he said, continuing that he’s seen CeeDee Lamb‘s need for improvement in his route running specifically, adding, “As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it’s hard to play the position. That’s what I see.“

For Aikman, the issue extended beyond Lamb, as he observed other players slacking off at the start of plays. “I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage,” he added, saying players only seem to put in effort if they’re expecting the ball.

Lamb, one of the Cowboy’s standout receivers, responded to Aikman’s comments with a guarded but determined approach. “Got to be better overall,” he admitted, clearly aware of the high bar set by Cowboys fans and former players alike.

When asked directly if he agreed with Aikman’s take, Lamb deflected, saying simply, “Next question.” His response hints at understanding Aikman’s critique while also showing some reluctance to delve deeply into the criticisms publicly.

Lamb and Prescott respond to Aikman

Quarterback Dak Prescott also weighed in, acknowledging that Aikman has a job to do and, as he put it, “whether he got personal, whether he went too far, once again the guy gets paid to do that.” Prescott appeared focused on keeping any “ruckus” from disrupting the team’s cohesion, explaining that it’s his job to keep things unified within the Cowboys’ locker room.

Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jonesdefended Aikman’s critique. “Troy knows football,” Jones said in a radio appearance, reminding everyone that Aikman’s insights come from years of experience on and off the field. “When he was here, he was one of the most astute and hardworking people I’ve ever seen at evaluating tape or looking at how a team is playing.”

There’s some speculation that Lamb’s performance might be linked to a lack of practice time. Prescott hinted that missing training camp could be a factor. “When you haven’t had that time in camp,” he explained, “you’ve got to be able to communicate through things.” Whether that’s a legitimate excuse or just a factor in the bigger picture, it seems that the Cowboys are aware something’s off.

While Lamb didn’t outright disagree with Aikman, his response suggests he’s taking the criticism in stride, ready to focus on improvement. With Aikman’s comments out in the open, fans are waiting to see how the team responds to these expectations on the field.