The NFL preseason is more about roster bubble players getting an opportunity to prove they deserve a place on the 53-man roster. Before the 17-game regular season, the Dallas Cowboys will play three tune-up games in August.
This year, rosters can remain at 90 players through the final preseason game, after which a single cutdown is made to get to 53 players, so one poor game won't derail a player's hopes.
With a new play-caller at the helm in Mike McCarthy and countless young players to integrate on offense and defense, the preseason will be important to the Cowboys. While wins and losses don't matter, the coaching staff will be hoping the team shows some cohesion heading into the new campaign.
Who do the Cowboys play in the preseason?
The Cowboys will open up at home against the Jaguars in Week 1. It's only preseason, but Dallas will be hoping to extract some revenge on Jacksonville after their gutting overtime loss last season. After that, the Cowboys will pack their bags for a Week 2 battle against the Seahawks before they finish up at home vs the Raiders.
Cowboys 2023 preseason schedule
- Saturday, Aug. 12: vs Jaguars, 4 pm CT (AT&T Stadium)
- Saturday, Aug. 19: at Seahawks, 9 pm CT (Lumen Field)
- Saturday, Aug. 26: vs Raiders, 7 pm CT (AT&T Stadium)
Will Cowboys preseason games be on TV?
Somewhat surprisingly, NFL Network will carry just one of the Cowboys' preseason games: Week 2 against the Seahawks. In a double whammy for fans, this will be the last of Saturday's four preseason games, so there's a high possibility the 6 p.m. game runs long and fans miss the opening minutes of Dallas vs Seattle.
One would think the NFL would prioritize broadcasting Cowboys games for viewership purposes, but we suppose it'd be unfair if they dominated the preseason schedule, too. Either way, fans should circle their calendars for Aug. 19.
Will the Cowboys have any joint practices?
Teams typically practice together ahead of preseason games. Of course, there has to be a mutual agreement and the Cowboys haven't scheduled any joint practices yet. Last year, they practiced with the Chargers at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Irvine, CA.
Stay tuned for potential updates.