NFL makes predictable but fascinating choice for the Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 schedule, 3 takeaways
The Dallas Cowboys are usually on primetime and they’re no strangers to facing the New York Giants in Week 1. But it’s still a fascinating pick for the 2026 NFL season.
Dallas Cowboys regular season football is coming to a TV near you on September 13. We officially have a date for the Cowboys’ Week 1 matchup following the NFL’s announcement of their season opener.
The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium for Sunday Night Football. Let’s dive into a few takeaways.
1. A Cowboys tradition
For a long time, it was almost a guarantee the Cowboys and Giants would face each other during Week 1. As Todd Archer (ESPN) noted on social media, this will be the ninth Cowboys-Giants matchup in Week 1 since 2006.
That’s 45% of the Cowboys’ openers in two decades.
Fortunately, the Cowboys do pretty well in such instances. Their only loss in that span came in 2016 during Dak Prescott’s regular season debut.
2. Why this is a fascinating choice
Though the initial criticism surrounding the Cowboys and Giants making it to primetime TV in Week 1 despite both having losing records last year is understandable, I believe this to be an intriguing choice.
For starters, we know the Cowboys are making it to primetime no matter what, so I don’t mind that at all.
And here’s the thing: This is a new era for the Giants under head coach John Harbaugh. They’ve got a promising quarterback in Jaxson Dart and just landed one of the draft’s best prospects in EDGE/LB Arvell Reese. How legit are they in 2026?
My take is they’re still a couple of years away, but they should be a very improved football team. The Cowboys will get the first glimpse of the season in 2026.
3. No Kickoff game for the Cowboys
The news also confirms the Cowboys won’t be visiting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 as the latter celebrates its Super Bowl championship. As one of the biggest brands set to visit the Seahawks in 2026, it looked like a very strong possibility.
However, the NFL is likely not a fan of having the same visiting team in the Kickoff game in back-to-back years. I’m betting on the Chicago Bears for that one, we’ll find out soon enough.