Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb Says Fan Tours at Team Facility Are 'Sometimes' a Distraction

Former Dallas Cowboys players aren't the only ones talking about owner Jerry Jones' decision to allow fan tours of team facilities.

Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb told reporters on Thursday that tours at Cowboys headquarters are "sometimes" a distraction.

ESPN's Kalyn Kahler reported on Wednesday that several former Cowboys players and coaches believed the tours could be distracting.

Unlike other stadium visits offered around the NFL, the Cowboys tours allow fans to view player areas while team members are present in the facility, according to Kahler.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott meanwhile acknowledged that Dallas may offer more tour opportunities than other franchises, but called the idea that the fan visits are distracting to players "an excuse" when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

"You can walk by and have a negative mindset about it and allow it to ruin your day, or you can be thankful that you're in an organization that people want to see," Prescott told reporters, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.

Prescott went on to seemingly push back against comments both from former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz, who spoke about the tours to Pat McAfee in March, and former Dallas safety Jayron Kearse, who discussed the situation with Kahler.

"For me, it's just easy to say 'What's up,' wave and keep walking," Prescott said. "I think I've heard you feel like a zoo animal, well, it's like, sometimes I bark back and I say 'Hey,' and you just keep rolling... There's people on the other side of the building that you don't necessarily know. Is it a distraction when you're grabbing your plate and they're grabbing theirs?

"It's easy to focus on what you want to focus on, if that's your mindset."

A source told Kahler that the tours had been discussed by veteran players on the Cowboys' player leadership council, which has previously served as a conduit between players and the team coaching staff.

Per Kahler, this council "has discussed the disturbance of the tours, but believed there was nothing they could do."

In a statement to Kahler, Jones noted that the Cowboys have compiled an 85-52 record, good for fourth in the NFL, since the current team facilities opened in 2016.

The Cowboys are coming out of their Week 7 bye with a 3-3 record, which the team will need to improve in order to challenge the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East. Next up Dallas will head to San Francisco to take on the 3-4 49ers on Sunday.