TL;DR
- CeeDee Lamb stated he and George Pickens missed curfew after a meal, leading to their benching.
- Cowboys executive Stephen Jones clarified Pickens missed the team bus, not curfew.
- Pickens has a history of lateness for team travel with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Pickens' behavior could impact his future contract prospects with the Dallas Cowboys.
After Dallas Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were both benched for the first drive of the Week 11 game versus the Las Vegas Raiders, Lamb explained what led to both players getting punished.
However, it appears the reason he gave for Pickens wasn't accurate.
Lamb informed reporters on Thursday that he and Pickens missed the team's 10 p.m. Curfew following a meal and beverages at Red Rock Casino the evening prior to the game.
But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said to 105.3 The Fan on Friday that Pickens missed the team bus on gameday, which led to him getting benched, according to ESPN.
"He's not going to play favorites with anybody," Jones said of head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
"He felt very strongly [about] that, that was part of it. I think a lot of people thought (Lamb and Pickens) 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."
Reports indicate this isn't the first instance of Pickens struggling to board a team bus or plane punctually throughout his career.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a former NFL wide receiver, stated earlier this year that he encountered Pickens was late for the team plane and buses multiple times during his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“George Pickens had stepped over and crossed the line a bit too many times and I know people that play with the Steelers. He’d be late for the team plane that would be flying out to away games multiple times. He’d be late to get on the team bus and they had enough of it,” Houshmandzadeh said on the Up On Game podcast.
There was another report that Pickens had showed up late to the Steelers' Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17 last season.
"When he was finally healthy, how did he respond?" The Athletic's Mike DeFabo wrote. "By showing up late for the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Tomlin asks players to report to games at least two hours before kickoff. On Dec. 25, Pickens walked through the media entrance an hour and 25 minutes before kickoff. That was after inactive players were announced."
Following behavioral issues with The Steelers, Pickens arrived in Dallas with a questionable reputation, and this incident won't do much to counter the perception that he might be difficult to manage.
This situation bodes poorly for his prospects of securing the profitable, extended contract he'll pursue in 2026, the year he's scheduled to become a free agent.
Dallas has ample reason to avoid paying Pickens, given their substantial investment in Lamb. Any ongoing problems for Pickens would further strengthen Dallas's reluctance.
Pickens must maintain good behavior going forward to potentially secure the offers he desires in the upcoming offseason.
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