The Dallas Cowboys' list of 2026 opponents hinted that a brutal schedule was on the way, but we're not sure anybody expected it to be this difficult.
With rivalry games against the New York Giants and Washington Commanders to start, Dallas has an excellent chance of starting 2-0. But that's when the difficulty ramps up.
In Week 3, they'll travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to face the Baltimore Ravens. That's followed by a 12 p.m. CT kickoff on the "road" against the Houston Texans, followed by a Thursday night clash versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That adds up to three games in an 11-game span.
No team wants an early bye, but if there was ever a time for an October reprieve, it's after that TNF game. Instead, Dallas will hit the road for back-to-back road games against the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 6 and 7, respectively.
That's A LOT of travel for any team, and yet the NFL decided to postpone the Cowboys' bye week until Week 14 (!). Patently absurd.
The Dallas Cowboys' 2026 regular-season schedule is a monster in the first two months
Here's a quick look at the 17-game slate:
Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
1 | at Giants (SNF) |
2 | vs Commanders |
3 | vs Ravens (in Brazil) |
4 | at Texans |
5 | vs Buccaneers (TNF) |
6 | at Packers (SNF) |
7 | at Eagles (MNF) |
8 | vs Cardinals |
9 | at Colts |
10 | vs 49ers |
11 | vs Titans |
12 | vs Eagles (Thanksgiving) |
13 | at Seahawks |
14 | BYE |
15 | at Rams |
16 | vs Jaguars (SNF) |
17 | vs Giants |
18 | at Commanders |
We'll know a lot about Dallas' season after Week 7. Would you sign for it right now if the Cowboys emerged from that gauntlet with a 3-4 record? It'd be tempting.
Things lighten up considerably after the Monday night clash in Philadelphia, with games against the Arizona Cardinals (home) and the Indianapolis Colts (away) before Jerry Jones welcomes the hated San Francisco 49ers to AT&T Stadium.
Overall, the second half of the schedule has a nice balance to it in terms of games Dallas should win (Cardinals, Titans, Colts, Jaguars, Commanders, Giants) versus the upper-echelon of the league (49ers, Seahawks, Rams).
But it doesn't overshadow the brutal start. And the Week 14 bye? For a team that has a lot of early travel? What's up with that? It's hard to see the positives in getting a week of rest with a month left in the season. At that point, what purpose does it serve? The season could be over.
The good news is some of these matchups won’t look nearly as daunting a few months from now. It’s only May, and who’s to say these opponents are as good as they look on paper?
The Cowboys should be much improved. If they can't overcome a tough schedule, they don't deserve to play deep into January anyway. But they still got dealt a rough hand.
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