NFL may be inadvertently handing the
Dallas Cowboys a huge advantage against the Giants with Week 1 announcement
The Dallas Cowboys now know their Week 1 opponent. And the timing of the matchup may end result in a big advantage once September comes around.
The Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in Week 1, the NFL announced Monday morning. And the league’s decision could turn out to be a big advantage for the Cowboys.
Giants could be down one of their top players
The fascinating part about this game is that the Giants are a revamped squad with John Harbaugh at the wheel. Though the Cowboys have dominated their series against the Giants in recent memory, the new-look franchise may be on the heels of some good years as long as QB Jaxson Dart pans out.
But in Week 1, the Giants are potentially at a big disadvantage here. And that’s because wide receiver Malik Nabers is one of the best players on the team. But he may not be ready to go following a torn ACL that knocked him out of the 2025 season.
In a recent podcast, Giants insider Jordan Raanan suggested Nabers’ injury could knock him out of Week 1.
“Malik Nabers injury is something we have to keep an eye on,” Raanan said on the Giants Nation Show. “The more I hear the more I’m like Week 1 is in serious question.”
Raanan added Nabers’ best play could come only four to six weeks into the season.
On top of that, the Giants made two Top 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though ED/LB Arvell Reese and OT Francis Mauigoa are promising rookies, the Cowboys will get them in their first ever action at the NFL level. That’s better than facing them later on in the season. The same goes for working with a new coaching staff.
Rest of the Cowboys 2026 schedule to come
So far, we know about the Cowboys visiting the Giants in Week 1 and them playing an international game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The rest of their schedule will come out later this week. The NFL is announcing the full 2026 regular season schedule on Thursday, May 14.