The Dallas Cowboys are a part of an unprecedented scheduling problem the NFL is facing, amid other schedule release questions
The Dallas Cowboys’ schedule will be here by next week. Below are the three biggest questions about their schedule release, including a problem around their Rio de Janeiro game versus the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s official: The NFL announced it will announce its 2026 regular season schedule next week on May 14. Below, I list the three biggest questions surrounding the Dallas Cowboys’ imminent schedule.
1. What do things look like around the Rio Game?
I’m curious about this one for various reasons, starting with the fact that it’s a very awkward spot to be in. And one no NFL team has been in it before.
Obviously, it’s an international game. Usually, teams playing abroad get a bye week the following week. Brazil has been an exception, though. In the past couple of years, two of four teams that played in Brazil on a Friday (Week 1) have turned around to play the following week on a Sunday. The other two played on Monday Night Football.
Now, the Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens are playing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a Sunday in Week 3.
So you can expect one team playing on a regular week on a Sunday, and the other getting an extra day through a Monday night showdown.
Assuming the league sticks to its recent model, bye weeks will begin in Week 5, so a Week 4 bye isn’t a realistic option. Any way you slice it, the Cowboys were dealt a tough hand with this one. That Week 2-Week 4 stretch is going to be a tough one.
Note: A quick Google search indicates a direct flight from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil takes 12 hours. So expect a full day to be dedicated to getting there and back.
2. Do the Cowboys get a back-to-back NFL Kickoff appearance?
I know, I know. The NFL is unlikely to allow the Cowboys to be the visiting team in back-to-back Kickoff games. But hear me out. Firstly, there’s no rule that keeps them from doing so.
Secondly, they are the only team with three appearances as the away team in the league’s Kickoff game since 2002. They’ve appeared in the opening game twice since 2021, including last year against the Philadelphia Eagles.
And here’s the kicker: With this year’s Kickoff scheduled for a Wednesday night, the NFL may want to pick its best option to draw attention to a highly uncommon gameday. A quick glance at the Seahawks’ road opponents suggests the Cowboys are one of the top candidates:
- Dallas Cowboys
- New England Patriots
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Chicago Bears
- New York Giants
- Arizona Cardinals
- Note: Rams and 49ers not included due to Melbourne game.
3. Will they play on Christmas Day again?
Last year, the Cowboys had two short weeks in a six-game stretch. The reason? Holiday games.
The Cowboys hosted the Chiefs on Thanksgiving and later visited the Commanders on Christmas Day. My take? Playing on Dec. 25 would be a disadvantage again. But the NFL went all-in on holiday games last year, so don’t be surprised if they go to their ratings monster once again.