FRISCO, Texas — With the final curtain now closed on a disappointing 2025 season from the Dallas Cowboys, the organization must immediately begin turning its eyes forward to changes they'll need to make in the hopes of becoming a contender in 2026, and they at least know, now, what they'll be up against when they take the field again in September.
Though the NFL won't release the official schedule (the "when") until spring, their annual algorithm allows the Cowboys to know definitively who they'll face when next season kicks off.
Outside of the obvious, six games being against division opponents, It's a rotational schedule that, in 2026, dictates the NFC East take on the AFC South and NFC West and, since the Cowboys finished in second place in the division, it means they'll face the teams who also finished in second place in their respective division — from the AFC North, NFC South and NFC North.
Also key to note is the fact the Cowboys, like other NFC teams, will gain an extra home game next season, though it is to-be-determined if that will be an international trek for Dallas to "host" someone from the AFC North.
Did you get all of that?
How about just showing you the list of opponents below and, yes, seven of them are playoff teams from this ongoing season, and that means the Cowboys better make sure the aforementioned changes are meaningful. Their road doesn't get any easier in 2026.
Home:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- New York Giants
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- Baltimore Ravens
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Away:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- New York Giants
- Green Bay Packers
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Los Angeles Rams
