The Dallas Cowboys faced 3rd-and-long on their first series of Week 11 on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders.
It was a perfect situation to have 2 of the NFL’s best wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, running downfield trying to catch the ball.
Instead, Lamb and Pickens watched from the sidelines as Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott scrambled to his right, almost threw an interception and forced Dallas to punt.
Neither Lamb or Pickens saw the field on the first series, standing and watching together per a decision by Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
“There have been issues with both players as far as effort in the past,” MNF color commentator and 3-time Super Bowl champion quarterback said. “This might be (head coach) Brian Schottenheimer sending a message.”
The Cowboys told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters it was a “coach’s decision” not to play Pickens and Lamb on the first series and when Salters asked if it was punishment, she was told Schottenheimer would have to address the issue as it was his decision.
“Cowboys WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens spent Dallas’ opening series on the bench,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
“Breaking: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens both weren’t on the field AT ALL in Dallas’ first drive,” Sleeper HQ’s Arye Pulli wrote on his official X account. “Cowboys PR told the broadcast that it was a coaches decision. Seems disciplinary.”
“It was a coach’s decision to have Cowboys WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens miss the first series,” The Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Nick Harris wrote on his official X account. “It was not injury related. As it was communicated to me, ‘they missed some things.’ “
Both Pickens and Lamb were back on the field and catching passes after the first series, including a
Lamb One of NFL’s Dominant Wide Receivers
amb, who signed a massive 4-year, $136 million contract extension before last season, has been one of the singularly great wide receivers in the NFL since he was selected in the first round (No. 17 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
In 5 NFL seasons, he’s a 3-time NFL All-Pro and 4-time Pro Bowler, with 4 consecutive seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards.
Lamb, despite missing 2 games due to injury, finished eighth in the NFL with 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
“Lamb has checked many boxes required by an elite receiver,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote in July. “He had a banner season in 2023, with 135 receptions (league-high), 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has had no true down years. He’s a perennial All-Pro first- or second-teamer. And he can produce through adversity, including multiple injuries to Dak Prescott and a bad running game … Lamb has 496 career receptions, the second most through a player’s first five seasons behind Michael Thomas‘ 510.”
Pickens Has History of Behavior Issues
Issues with his behavior on and off the field was what landed Pickens with the Cowboys in the first place after his first team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, traded him after growing tired of the headaches.
Those issues included over a dozen fines for on-field incidents from taunting to fighting to displaying personal messages. Pickens’ most off-the-wall incident is what likely got him traded — showing up late for a Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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