Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed Friday on 105.3 The Fan that wide receiver George Pickens was benched for the opening series of Monday’s win over the Raiders because he missed the team bus to the stadium.
Both Pickens and star receiver CeeDee Lamb were held out of the first offensive possession by head coach Brian Schottenheimer as a disciplinary measure.
Lamb told reporters Thursday that he and Pickens had broken the team’s 10 p.m. curfew the night before after dinner and drinks at a casino. Pickens’ infraction, however, was separate.
“Coach Schottenheimer isn’t going to play favorites with anyone,” Stephen Jones said. “A lot of people assumed they were tied together because they’re close friends, but they were actually two different issues: one happened the night before and carried into the morning, and the other was simply missing the buses.”
Owner and GM Jerry Jones, in a separate interview on the same station, made clear he has no issue with players enjoying themselves off the clock, but drew a line at the night before kickoff.
“I’m fine with guys having a good time,” Jerry Jones said. “But when we’re on the road for a business trip and we’ve got special-teams meetings that most of the roster attends, that’s where I draw the line.”
