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Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed why star wide receiver George Pickens was really benched for the opening series of the team’s win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.
CeeDee Lamb was also benched for the opening series and told reporters that he and Pickens missed the team’s 10 p.m. curfew on Sunday after having dinner and drinks. However, Jones said Pickens was benched for a different reason.
“(Head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s) not going to play favorites with anybody,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday.
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George Pickens (3) of the Dallas Cowboys looks on after his team’s 33-16 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 17, 2025. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
“He felt very strongly [about] that, that was part of it. I think a lot of people thought they had to be together because they are great friends, but believe it or not, one was of the night before leading into the morning, and the other one was missing the buses.”
While both Lamb and Pickens did not play in the first series, they both had standout performances in the team’s 33-16 win on Monday. Pickens had nine catches for 144 yards and a touchdown while Lamb recorded five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
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George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate a touchdown during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The pair have formed one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL when they are on the field together.
Lamb missed three games due to injury this season and Pickens stepped up and emerged as a reliable target for Dak Prescott. In seven games this season, Lamb has 40 catches for 557 yards and two touchdowns.
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Pickens, in his first season with the Cowboys after being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers, has 58 catches for 908 yards and seven touchdowns.
The star wide receiver duo will look to keep their momentum going when the Cowboys (4-5-1) take on the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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