This week, the Dallas Cowboys team unleashed the lightning of discipline, revealing that star receiver George Pickens was benched for the opening series of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders because he committed the gravest sin against punctuality: he missed the team bus for the game.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s message was clear that he “is not going to play favorites with anybody.” Immediately following Pickens’ benching, his close friend, CeeDee Lamb, received the same punishment, although the infractions of these two great friends were different from the team protocol perspective.
While Pickens’ offense was related to physically failing to reach the bus on time, Lamb’s penalty came from a late-night adventure, where the receiver later told reporters that he was benched for breaking the 10 p.m. Sunday night curfew after he got late following dinner and drinks at a casino, according to ESPN.
Stephen Jones says Cowboys star receiver Pickens pays the price for missing the bus
Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, speaking about these pre-game actions on “Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan” on Friday, said “hats off to Schotty for being consistent.” Jones said that Pickens’ offense was “missing the buses,” whereas Lamb’s was “one was of the night before leading into the morning” type of violation.
George Pickens missed the team bus to Monday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, leading to him getting benched, executive vice president Stephen Jones told Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan on Friday.https://t.co/SsnZSe0MFo
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2025
Jerry Jones On Players Partying Late Night
This consistency in enforcing the rules sparked a conversation about what professional behavior looks like when the team is on a “business trip,” a concept that team owner Jerry Jones addressed in a separate candid interview with “105.3 The Fan.”
So, the question is: when millions are at stake with every snap and the team is going through a critical phase of the season, where exactly is the real line between fun and focus? Jones drew a tough line about players partying the night before the game, saying:
“Yes, I do [have a problem with it],” even though he admitted that spending the night together on the road is a routine in football that’s “age old” and has been “going on forever.”
“I don’t have any problem with partying,” he added. “But when we’re rolling in there and we have our special teams meetings, which usually have most of the team, but still, the idea is this is a business trip.”
Jones clarified that while he has no blanket issue with off-field socializing, when the team comes together for meetings, they must recognize the seriousness of the mission. He emphasized that the club should treat away games like a “business trip,” where personal pursuits should be “check[ed] it all back in Dallas.”
Sharing his personal experiences, Jones said that in the early days of ownership, due to immense pressure, anxiety, and lack of sleep, he had to “drink quite a bit” just to keep going, and this combination of factors led him to a serious, persistent heart arrhythmia, he told The Fan.
This disciplinary action has sent a strong message, which should be viewed through the lens of performance, as after the benching, both players returned to the field and played “one hell of a game.” This performance compelled Stephen Jones to make a telling observation that perhaps he should make “the whole team” do what Pickens and Lamb did — if it results in such explosive execution.
Dallas fans will want that moving forward. Players will maintain the high performance they showed after being benched, showing that the team’s focus remains fully on winning football games.
The Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) will play a Sunday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) at AT&T Stadium.
Main Image: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images
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