Dallas Cowboys Schedule 2026: Full Slate, Dates, Times and TV

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The Cowboys open the 2026 season with back-to-back NFC East games and then leave the continent. Dallas hosts Baltimore in Week 3 in the NFL’s first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro, plays Philadelphia on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2014, and closes on the road at Washington.

Brian Schottenheimer’s second season features nine home dates, a Week 14 bye, and one of the heaviest travel loads in the league at roughly 27,980 miles.

2026 Team Schedule
Dallas Cowboys Schedule
NFC East · AT&T Stadium · Brian Schottenheimer (2nd year)
9
Home Games
14
Bye Week
Sept 13
Opener at Giants
Sept 27
Circle It: Rio de Janeiro
Week Date Opponent Time (ET) / TV Result
1 Sun, Sept 13 at New York Giants 8:20 PM · NBC —
2 Sun, Sept 20 vs Washington Commanders 4:25 PM · FOX —
3 Sun, Sept 27 vs Baltimore Ravens (Rio de Janeiro) 4:25 PM · CBS —
4 Sun, Oct 4 at Houston Texans 1:00 PM · FOX —
5 Thu, Oct 8 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8:15 PM · Prime —
6 Sun, Oct 18 at Green Bay Packers 8:20 PM · NBC —
7 Mon, Oct 26 at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 PM · ESPN —
8 Sun, Nov 1 vs Arizona Cardinals 1:00 PM · FOX —
9 Sun, Nov 8 at Indianapolis Colts 1:00 PM · FOX —
10 Sun, Nov 15 vs San Francisco 49ers 4:25 PM · FOX —
11 Sun, Nov 22 vs Tennessee Titans 1:00 PM · FOX —
12 Thu, Nov 26 vs Philadelphia Eagles (Thanksgiving) 4:30 PM · FOX —
13 Mon, Dec 7 at Seattle Seahawks 8:15 PM · ESPN —
14 — BYE WEEK — —
15 Sun, Dec 20 at Los Angeles Rams 4:25 PM · CBS —
16 Sun, Dec 27 vs Jacksonville Jaguars 8:20 PM · NBC —
17 Sun, Jan 3 vs New York Giants 1:00 PM · FOX —
18 TBD at Washington Commanders TBD —
Week 18 dates, times and networks are announced only after Week 17 concludes. Prime-time games in Weeks 5-17 can move under flexible scheduling.

Games That Will Define the Cowboys’ Season

Wk 1 at Giants For the 13th time in franchise history, Dallas opens against the Giants. The Cowboys are 11-1 in season openers against New York and have won nine of the last ten regular-season meetings.
Wk 3 vs Ravens The NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro, with Dallas as the designated home team. It’s the Cowboys’ first international regular-season game since 2014.
Wk 12 vs Eagles Thanksgiving against Philadelphia for the first time since 2014 — and the second meeting of the year, a month after the Monday night trip to Lincoln Financial Field.
Wk 17-18 The Giants at home on Jan 3, then Washington on the road. Two division games to close, with playoff seeding likely still live.
27,980 Miles
Dallas is among the most-traveled teams in the league in 2026, largely because of the Rio de Janeiro trip in Week 3 and West Coast dates at Seattle and the Rams.
Five Prime-Time Games
Three Sunday night windows, two Monday nights, and a Thursday night home game against Tampa Bay, plus the Thanksgiving slot.
A Late Bye
Dallas plays 13 straight before the Week 14 bye, then returns for a four-game run to close the regular season.

How the Schedule Sets Up

Two division games to open is unusual, and both are winnable. The Rio trip in Week 3 is the wildcard — a long flight and an unfamiliar environment against a Ravens team that will be favored. October is the grind: Houston on the road, a short week for Thursday night against Tampa Bay, then consecutive prime-time road games at Green Bay and Philadelphia. November is the friendliest stretch, with four of five at AT&T Stadium including Thanksgiving. Then a Monday night in Seattle, the bye, and a four-game close.

Coming off 7-9-1, Schottenheimer needs a fast start against the NFC East before the schedule turns. For roster context heading into the season, see our NFL roster cuts tracker. Full league schedules and flexible-scheduling rules are published by the NFL.

The Bottom Line

Nine home games, the NFL’s first game in Brazil, Thanksgiving against Philadelphia, and a Week 14 bye before a four-game finish — the Cowboys’ 2026 schedule is front-loaded with travel and back-loaded with division games. Bookmark this page; results and Week 18 details are updated throughout the season.