FRISCO, Texas – Yea on the 2026 NFL schedule. Better coming out on time Thursday than potentially when could have been a week later.
And tell you what, since we already know when three of the Cowboys' 17 games will be played, not sure there will be a tougher stretch from a physically draining standpoint than the first three games of the season, along with wherever Dallas plays in Week 4.
Right? Think about it.
We already know the Cowboys will open the season on Sunday Night Football, but against the New York Giants on the road at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. A 7:20 p.m. Central start. We already know the Cowboys then two weeks later will play the Baltimore Ravens – technically a home game but some 5,000 miles away – on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 27, at 3:25 p.m. Central, changing continents for goodness sakes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That's Brazil, my friends.
That would be a darn grueling stretch from a travel standpoint even if you were just taking a vacation. Ah, but the Cowboys must play those two of three football games in faraway places.
Let's break it down. Normally, when the Cowboys play the Giants in a Sunday night game at the Meadowlands, we get back to DFW no earlier than 4-4:30 a.m. on Monday. That's if our pilot is speeding. Then no one is getting to bed sooner than 5-5:30.
That makes Monday a wash. Late afternoon meeting with Tuesday the normal day off.
Be interesting to see what the NFL computer spits out for the following Sunday's game on Sept. 20. You would think, from a merciful standpoint, a home game late Sunday afternoon or within close proximity if not at AT&T Stadium.
Great, then like three to four days later, time to jump on the overnight transcontinental trip. Judging from a random commercial flight from DFW to Rio on American Airlines, that means the equivalent of leaving at around 6 p.m., say, Wednesday or Thursday and getting in around 8 a.m. Brazil time on Thursday or Friday, making for a lovely practice that day after a nine or 10-hour flight and then playing on Sunday.
Oh, and then you have to fly back after the game on Sunday, which will start 6:25 p.m. Brazil time and not get back to DFW until like 11 a.m. Central time on Monday. And there goes another Monday, and for an equitable standpoint, both teams can't play their Week 4 game the following Monday night.
You feel me?
Now then, from a mile's standpoint, not knowing where the Cowboys will play Week 2, but you'd think logically at home, if you add up the round-trip miles from DFW to Newark, that rounds off to 2,470 miles. And then round-trip from DFW to Rio is another 10,442 miles. Added together, that's within two weeks traveling 13,182 miles, spending a good 28 to 30 hours in the air.
Can you say a Week 4 bye? But, of late, Week 5 has been the earliest bye week the NFL has handed out. In fact, not since 2011 and 2012 has Dallas had a Week 5 bye. And it's been 2010 since the Cowboys had a Week 4 bye that they don't hand out any longer, especially since the move to a 17-game schedule in 2021.
Maybe the NFL can make an exception and revert to the 1993 schedule, the last time teams had two byes in a season. The Cowboys had theirs during Weeks 4 and 8, which were part of a seven-game winning streak after getting off to an 0-2 start following the Super Bowl XXVII victory in the 1992 season.
Good gosh, just thinking about this streak of games wears you out, no? Unless you're earning AAdvantage Miles by joining them.
- Rehabbers: The Cowboys have moved into Phase II of the offseason program, not only meaning the rookies have returned to join the veterans in the offseason workouts after leaving following the three-day rookie minicamp, but now they continue doing mostly conditioning and skill drills with coaches and footballs on the field. A couple of guys, though, are scheduled to continue rehabbing from surgeries. Chances are, second-year defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, after labrum repair hip surgery, will continue rehabbing throughout the offseason and likely be ready to ease into practice at the start of training camp. Same with veteran cornerback DaRon Bland, who had surgery to not only replace the screw previously inserted into the fifth metatarsal of his left foot at the end of training camp in 2024 but also to place a bone graft over the fractured bone to strengthen the area. Expect him to be ready for camp as well. And while Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith continues rehabbing from a knee scope following the season, he might be able to work into the OTA and minicamp portion of the offseason work.
- NFL For Sure: We always talk about N-F-L standing for "not for long." Well, here is another example. Right at three weeks ago, April 20, Brandon Aubrey signed a four-year, $28 million extension, the highest ever for an NFL kicker. Before you know it, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell is signed to a four-year, $28 million extension to share the distinction of becoming the highest-paid kickers in the NFL.
- Story Time: This all reminds me of a story 20-some years ago, the root sprouting in 2003 when Cowboys 1998 first-round draft choice Greg Ellis re-signed with the team for a six-year, $22.8 million deal. Well, a few years later, maybe halfway through those six, the NFL salary cap increased greatly, and defensive players began earning significantly higher raises. Of course, Ellis started to complain, suddenly feeling underpaid but locked into his contract. So remember this day at lunch when the late Pat Summerall joined a bunch of us veteran writers and broadcasters and asked how come Greg was complaining. So told him the story of signing that then long six-year deal, and finished by saying, "Unfortunately, his deal came around too soon since salaries began skyrocketing afterward." And Summerall, in his deep baritone voice, belted out, "We all came around too soon." Ain't that the truth.
- Due Respects: Former Cowboys quarterback and 1965 first-round draft choice Craig Morton, having passed away this past Saturday at the age of 83, never really got the respect due for his contributions in Cowboys history. Morton began as the backup to Don Meredith for three years, then inherited the starting job in 1969 when Dandy Don up and retired after leading the Cowboys to the franchise's first three winning seasons and playoff berths (1966-68). The first of those two were losses to Green Bay in the NFL Championship Games for the right to play in the first two Super Bowls. The Cowboys went 11-2-1 in 1969 but lost the Eastern Conference Championship Game to Cleveland. Then, in 1970, with Roger Staubach his backup, Morton led the Cowboys to a 10-4 record and their fourth either NFL, Eastern Conference or NFC Conference Championship Game, which they won that season, earning the right to advance to Super Bowl V. The Cowboys lost 16-13 to the Colts, contributing to their moniker as "Next Year's Champions." Not bad for Morton, but after alternating starts in 1971 with Staubach – even plays in a Week 7 loss to Chicago before head coach Tom Landry named Roger the full-time starter – Morton became the backup for the next two seasons. But how about this contribution? Then in 1974, six games into the season, the Cowboys traded Morton to the Giants for a 1975 first-round draft choice. What an asset because after the Giants finished in last place with a 2-12 record and earned the No. 2 pick in the 1975 draft, that meant the Cowboys were on the clock after the Atlanta Falcons chose quarterback Steve Bartkowski. And with the second pick, the Cowboys selected Randy White, who put together a 14-year Hall of Fame career that included three Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy during the Cowboys' historic 20-year winning streak. Rest in peace, Craig.
- Nothing Off: Not in the NFL, there is always something going on. Take Thursday with the 2026 schedule release … The third game on that 2026 schedule we know has the Cowboys playing Philadelphia on Thanksgiving, the NFC East rivals meeting on Turkey Day for the first time since 2014. And back then that was the first time since the 1989 Bounty Bowl game when the Eagles shut out Dallas 27-0 and the Cowboys accused Philly head coach Buddy Ryan of promising his players a bonus if they could knock quarterback Troy Aikman or kicker Luis Zendejas out of the game … Going back to the schedule, will be interesting to see which teams are chosen for the planned Christmas Day tripleheader, along with the possibility of Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 games, meaning a total of 10 teams could be involved playing over those three days. And that after the Cowboys played on Christmas Day this past season … Oh, by the way, did check on random airfare from DFW to Rio De Janeiro for the Cowboys-Raven game on Sept. 27 in case you need to peek. Know for main cabin extra (leg room) seats for the 10-hour flight you are looking today at $2,443.
And for the last word this week, if you didn't take time to listen to the seven-minute interview on DallasCowboys.com with undrafted free agent Shiyazh Pete, a 6-9, 309-pound offensive tackle from Kentucky – and I didn't transpose his first and last names in case you are wondering – then here is a treat. And he began the session by telling media members how to pronounce his first name, "SHE-yazh."
Not only that, when answering their questions, Pete addressed at least two media members by their first names as if longtime pals, adroitly seeing so on their name tags, while addressing his thoughts on becoming the first known Navajo Native American on an NFL team, be it the 90-man roster, with what I'd think is a good chance to at least make it to the practice squad.
He began his answer like this:
"I guess I have to re-answer Noah's and your question: It's a great honor. I realize I'm one of the first individuals in that community to do so. It's a little bit surreal. I understand I'm a public figure now, and I must act accordingly, and that carries somewhat of a responsibility. I'm also a professional athlete, and I must continue to grow in that regard, channel that experience from college and do something worthwhile while I'm here playing in the NFL."
Heartwarming, right? Softy, me, if you need an underdog to cheer for, Petey is your guy.
