The full 2026 NFL schedule is finally here. We’ve known who everyone’s opponents would be for a while now, but we officially have confirmation on when every game will take place.
The Dallas Cowboys had a disappointing 2025 season, but after some big offseason additions on the defensive side of the ball, they’re hoping they can get back to being a perennial playoff team. Their schedule is pretty tough, but a playoff berth is not out of the question for Dallas.
I dove into the Cowboys’ 2026 schedule and identified their easiest and toughest stretches that could define their season.
Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 Schedule
Week 1: at New York Giants
Week 2: vs Washington Commanders
Week 3: vs Baltimore Ravens (Rio)
Week 4: at Houston Texans
Week 5: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 6: at Green Bay Packers
Week 7: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 8: vs Arizona Cardinals
Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 10: vs San Francisco 49ers
Week 11: vs Tennessee Titans
Week 12: vs Philadelphia Eagles
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams
Week 16: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 17: vs New York Giants
Week 18: at Washington Commanders
Easiest Stretch
The Cowboys have a pretty tough schedule this year, but right in the heart of it is what I believe will be their easiest stretch.
In Week 9, the Cowboys will make a trip up north to Indianapolis to face the Colts. This one’s tough, because Indy was very good at the beginning of last year, but they really fell off after Daniel Jones’s injury. Their QB1 is expected to be back, but an Achilles tear can keep you from being 100 percent for well over a year. If he’s not playing at the same level as last year, the Colts won’t be a huge challenge.
Week 10 will be a tough one, but at least they’ll be at home. The Cowboys will welcome the San Francisco 49ers to JerryWorld on Sunday afternoon. The 49ers are great, but if Dallas’s defense can take a step forward, there’s no reason they can’t be competitive and possibly win this game. Especially if San Fran suffers some big injuries, like they have in the past.
Ending their easy stretch is a Week 11 home battle against the Tennessee Titans. I really like what Tennessee is building, but they’re still a year or two away from being serious threats. Their defense isn’t good enough to stop Dallas from putting 30+ on the board.
The Cowboys should cruise to a 3-1 or possibly even 4-0 record during this stretch, and they’re going to need it, because right after that comes their toughest test.
Hardest Stretch
Right after their bout with Tennessee, the hardest stretch for the Cowboys starts. In Week 12, they will host the Philadelphia Eagles, and even though they weren’t great last year, they still have one of the best rosters in the league, and if Sean Mannion can fix their offense, they’ll be an extremely tough out.
After that, Dallas will hit the road and travel to Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl champions in one of the loudest stadiums in football. It’s never easy to go to Seattle, even when they’re not a good team, but now they have to do it when Seattle is at their peak. That won’t be a fun road trip.
The Cowboys do get the benefit of a Week 14 bye in the middle of this stretch, but that doesn’t really change how tough it is.
After their bye, the Cowboys will take another cross-country road trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams, who I believe are the best team in the league. Barring any major injuries, they have the best roster in the sport, so having to go on the road to take them on is no small task.
How Did the Schedule Unfold For the Cowboys?
Based on their opponents 2025 average records, the Cowboys enter the 2026 season with the 13th-easiest schedule in the league, but if the NFL gives you a rough travel schedule, that can immediately get 10x tougher. Luckily for Dallas, though, I think their schedule was pretty fair.
The Cowboys open the season with two winnable games against the Giants and Commanders, and could easily start the year with a 2-0 record in their division. Week 3 and Week 4 will be tough ones against Baltimore in Rio and Houston on the road, but after that, they hit their schedule lightens up until Week 12.
The back half of their schedule is pretty tough, with trips to Seattle and Los Angeles while also hosting Jacksonville, but they get a. bye in the middle of those games and then they end the season the way it started, by playing the Giants and Commanders.
As long as Dallas gets off to a 7-4 start, which is very doable with their schedule, they should be just fine, especially if they can beat one of Seattle, Los Angeles or Jacksonville.
If I’m the Cowboys, I feel pretty good about how the schedule turned out.
