George Pickens‘ absence from the Dallas Cowboys‘ opening offensive series against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday had nothing to do with injury or game plan.
It was the result of a disciplinary decision, one the team’s leadership now says reflects a broader standard of accountability inside the organization.
Pickens missed the team bus to Allegiant Stadium, executive vice president Stephen Jones told Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan on Friday.
The incident came on the heels of a separate curfew violation involving CeeDee Lamb, who acknowledged Thursday that both he and Pickens were benched for missing the Cowboys‘ 22:00 curfew the night before the game after staying out for dinner and drinks at a casino.
The Cowboys ultimately beat the Raiders 33 to 16, but the decision to sit two of the team’s most explosive receivers for the opening drive was a noticeable statement from head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He confirmed after the game that the players knew of the coming punishment but declined to offer details at the time.
Stephen Jones filled in the gaps on Friday. “He’s not going to play favorites with anybody,” Jones said of Schottenheimer on The Fan. “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 Lamb‘s violation centered on curfew, Pickens‘ issue escalated because it affected team logistics. Missing the bus on game day is considered a serious breach in Dallas’ internal code, and it immediately placed him in Schottenheimer’s disciplinary crosshairs.
Jerry Jones pushes back on nightlife before games
Pickens’ and Lamb’s decisions quickly prompted another reaction from inside the building. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones addressed the situation in a separate interview on 105.3 The Fan, saying he had little tolerance for players spending the night before a game in party settings.
“Yes, I do,” Jerry Jones said when asked if he had a problem with it. “I don’t have any problem with partying, but when we’re rolling in there and we have our special teams meetings, which usually has most of the team, but still, the idea is this is a business trip.”
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