Cowboys' Ceedee Lamb Reveals Reason for Benching in Recent Game

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb celebrates during 2025 game.

CeeDee Lamb has finally cleared the air on his surprise benching in the Dallas Cowboys win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The star receiver told reporters he and fellow wideout George Pickens missed the team’s 10 p.m. curfew after having dinner and a few drinks at Red Rock Casino the night before Monday’s game.

Lamb also pushed back at social-media rumours that he was spotted throwing up at 7:30 a.m., saying he knows how to handle himself and that the story simply was not true.

Lamb Sets Record Straight On Vegas Night

Lamb said the pair went out for food and drinks and returned late to the team hotel, a clear violation of a rule that coach Brian Schottenheimer had set for the road trip.

That was enough for the Cowboys to sit both receivers for the opening series, a move that grabbed immediate attention when the offense lined up without either of Dak Prescott’s top targets. After the 33–16 win, Schottenheimer kept things vague, saying only that “some things were missed,” while Lamb initially refused to go into detail.

By Thursday, the receiver decided to address the reason himself so he could shut down the more extreme stories swirling online and keep the focus on football.

CeeDee Lamb denied throwing up in a Las Vegas casino before the Cowboys-Raiders game because he “knows how to hold his liquor,” per @calvinwatkins

Lamb and George Pickens missed curfew after having dinner and a few drinks at Red Rock Casino and were benched during the team’s… pic.twitter.com/Islo0nqakT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 20, 2025

Discipline, Production And Pickens’ Long-Term Future

Once they got on the field, Lamb and Pickens responded exactly how a coaching staff wants after a slap on the wrist.

Lamb posted five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, while Pickens erupted for nine grabs, 144 yards and a 37-yard score, injecting life into the passing game after the slow start. Both players stressed that they wanted to be out there from the first snap, but there is no lingering tension with Schottenheimer, who was seen hugging the pair after Lamb’s touchdown.

The coach later raved about their firepower and even went out of his way to say he would love to keep calling plays for both long term, a notable comment with Pickens set to hit free agency this offseason.