FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys’ 2025 schedule is finally here, featuring games on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day for the first time since 2010 and a grand total of six primetime games across 18 weeks.
After a 7-10 finish in 2024, Dallas will look to turn things around in year one of the Brian Schottenheimer era, and he'll be thrown right into the fire as the Cowboys travel to play the Super Bowl champion Eagles in the first game of the 2025 season on September 4.
With the full slate of games now in front of everyone to digest and consider, here's how our staff thinks the schedule shapes up for Dallas with kickoff less than four months away:
Nick Eatman: What stands out to me .... other than playing FOUR THURSDAY games, is how it starts and ends. I'm looking at Week 1, Week 17 and Week 18. I mean, if you think about it - the most important games on the schedule each year are typically the division games. Of those six, which ones are the toughest? The road games maybe? Yeah, that's what I think. And I would imagine the NFL agrees, yet the Cowboys have to start the season on the road against the NFL champs in Philly. And then in Week 17 it's at Washington on Christmas Day (thanks, league for that one), and then the Giants in January for Week 18. That's what stands out the most - putting the Cowboys on the road against a division rival to start the year, and then on the road against the other two to finish the year.
Tommy Yarrish: It was already shaping up to be a tough slate for the Cowboys given they've got to play eight teams that made the playoffs last year, but what stands out is Dallas goes through an absolute gauntlet towards the end of the season. Starting in Week 12, they play the Super Bowl champion Eagles just to turn around four days later and host the Super Bowl runner up Kansas City Chiefs. After that, it's four straight weeks of playoff teams from a year ago with the Lions, Vikings, Chargers and Commanders on the docket. A good start out of the gates is what every team wants, but the Cowboys will especially need it so they can give themselves some cushion at the back end of the season if things get tight in a playoff push.
Kyle Youmans: Better take advantage of the first half of the year. The NFL did not do the Cowboys any big favors after the bye week hits. After the Raiders game in Week 11, Dallas will face six-straight playoff teams from last season, including three of the four teams represented from the last Conference Championship weekend. Brian Schottenheimer has the tough task of guiding a new staff, with new players, and a new culture through the early part of the schedule, then close out with one of the toughest stretches of games in the NFL.
Mickey Spagnola: Think this is a very fair start to the season, including opening up against the defensive Super Bowl champion Eagles. Why not? Let's go. Start with a bang. But seriously is the NFL schedule computer giggling about what is being thrown at the Cowboys from the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving for six straight games? Now we knew this schedule was going to be loaded with 10 games against 2024 NFL playoff teams. But as writing in Mick Shots, did the NFL have to create a Murders' Row? Why the Cowboys have to play in a row Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings Chargers and Commanders. What a grind…maybe that giggling computer could have spread a few of those games out. You think.
