Dallas Cowboys Confirmed for at Least 1 Joint Practice During 2026 Offseason

Joint practices have become the norm in the NFL over the years and the Dallas Cowboys are going to have at least one in 2026.

Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints reported that the New Orleans Saints will have joint practices with all three of their preseason opponents and the Cowboys are one of them.

Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram confirmed that the Cowboys would indeed be practicing with New Orleans, and he believes that won't be the only joint session for Dallas.

"Can confirm that the Cowboys will have a joint practice with the Saints in Oxnard," Harris said. "Shouldn’t be the only one that Dallas has while in Southern California."

The Cowboys will host the Saints in preseason Week 3 on Friday, Aug. 28, so the joint sessions will take place in the days before that. It isn't clear if there will be one or two sessions.

Before that preseason matchup, Dallas has road exhibition games against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Aug. 15, and the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Joint practices have not been confirmed with either one of those teams, though.

In 2025, the Cowboys held joint practices with just one team, the Los Angeles Rams, but they have had joint practices with multiple teams in the past, so there remains a chance that will happen this year.

Why joint practices are important

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center. — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Joint practices are just another way for the Cowboys to evaluate their players, and the Saints will be a solid partner to give Dallas a good litmus test on where their team stands.

New Orleans finished with a 6-11 record in 2025 but came on strong over the final five games of the season, winning four of them. That has led many to believe the Saints are ascending following five straight seasons without a playoff berth.

The catalyst in New Orleans' late-season success was quarterback Tyler Shough.

The team's second-round pick in 2025, Shough showed a ton of promise after getting the keys to the car in Week 9. He, along with a talented wide receiver duo consisting of Chris Olave and rookie Jordyn Tyson, should provide a solid test for Dallas' defense, and more specifically, the secondary.

Having joint practices with the Seahawks would be even more beneficial for the Cowboys considering Seattle is the reigning Super Bowl champion and should sport an elite defense and a very good offense in 2026. Seattle is also on Dallas' regular season schedule (Week 13).

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