Explaining Why Dallas Cowboys Fans Are Mad About Bye Week Timing

The Dallas Cowboys have their latest bye week since the 1990 campaign. Here's why a Week 14 bye is a bad thing.

Dallas Cowboys fans. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys' schedule dropped on Thursday night and we now know the dates and times for every contest on Dallas' 2026 slate.

We also know when the Cowboys will have their bye, which comes very late this year in Week 14. It's the first time since all the way back in 1990 that the Cowboys have had a Week 14 bye.

When scanning fan reactions, we have seen plenty who are not happy about having such a late bye, and we can't say we blame them. Here's why.

Why Week 14 bye is bad

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Cowboys really could have used their bye much earlier in the year following their game in Brazil against the Baltimore Ravens.

Along with all the traveling the Cowboys have to do, which can take a toll on the body, they also have to play three games in 11 days. Dallas squares off with Baltimore on Sept. 27, then turns around and takes on the Houston Texans the following week before hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four days later.

On the bright side, at least Dallas is playing in its home state in the contest after the Brazil game, so that helps soften the blow.

To be clear, the Cowboys chose not to have their bye after the Ravens game, likely with the hope they would get it closer to the middle of the season. That did not happen and now the Cowboys have stuck themselves with a brutal three-game slate and a late bye.

Another problem with the bye is something we've already touched on: it's always more ideal to split the schedule with the bye as evenly as possible.

Instead of doing that, the Cowboys have to play a whopping 13 games before getting a break, which is a concern for injury and momentum. With a Week 14 bye, there won't be time for a post-bye week turnaround if things go south over 13 contests.

Why Week 14 bye is good

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Let's play devil's advocate here and see if we can come up with enough reasons for why a Week 14 bye is good.

For starters, the Cowboys are going to be fresh for the stretch run of the season, which includes what could be four tough matchups against the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

Of course, if the Cowboys aren't competing for a playoff spot, that isn't going to matter. We continue to hope they will be with improved play from the defense.

The bye also comes at an ideal time because the Cowboys square off versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 and then have to make another west coast trip to play the Rams in Week 15.

If you were going to draw up a late bye, you'd want it in between games against two of the best teams in the NFL, and especially teams you have to travel to the west coast for.

What's the verdict?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The negatives of the Cowboys' bye week outweigh the positives.

We can definitely see why the Cowboys opted not to take their bye after the Brazil game because, again, it's most ideal to have it as close to the middle of the season as possible.

But that choice has now saddled the Cowboys with a worse late bye and a brutal three-game stretch early in the season that has the potential to derail Dallas for the entire campaign if the team doesn't successfully navigate it.

The silver lining is none of those three games are against division opponents, but the Cowboys do have to play the Philadelphia Eagles out of that three-game stretch.