FRISCO, Texas – The NFL announced on Monday that the Dallas Cowboys will open the 2026 season at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey against the New York Giants.
Kickoff for Dallas' Week 1 game is set for Sunday, September 13 at 7:20 p.m. on NBC.
This will mark the 13th time in franchise history that the Cowboys have opened season against the Giants, and the first since 2023. The Cowboys have won 11 out of their 12 season-opening matchups against the Giants all time.
The 2026 season will bring a new chapter to the NFC East rivalry, as John Harbaugh takes over as the head coach of the New York Giants after 18 seasons, including a Super Bowl XLVII win, as the head coach of the Ravens.
It'll mark the beginning of the second year at the helm for Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who went 7-9-1 in his first year ever as a head coach in 2025 and 1-1 against the Giants.
The second-most watched game in NFL regular season history is between the Cowboys and Giants, coming in 2022 on Thanksgiving where Dallas came away with a 28-20 win.
In 2025, the Cowboys defeated New York 40-37 in a Week 2 overtime thriller and lost the season finale to the Giants 34-17.
In 128 total matchups since 1960, the Cowboys lead the all-time series against the Giants with a 78-48-2 record and have 16 of their last 18 games against them.
The Cowboys now know two games on their 2026 schedule, as Dallas will play the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 for the NFL’s first ever game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The full schedule release for the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL will be announced on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m.
