NFL Actually Did Cowboys A Favor With International Game Schedule

The Dallas Cowboys have to travel to Brazil in Week 3, but the NFL might have done them a favor with the schedule around that game.

Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and general manager Jerry Jones stands on the field prior to a game against the New York Jets. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

On Thursday night, the full 2026 NFL schedule was released. For the Dallas Cowboys, they already knew what a handful of their games would be.

Prior to the release, it was confirmed that they would be playing on the road in Week 1 against the New York Giants. We also knew they would travel to Brazil to play in the first ever regular season NFL game in Rio de Janeiro against the Baltimore Ravens.

Dallas was also confirmed to be playing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12, which is the annual Thanksgiving Day game. Now, we know what the entire schedule will be, including the contests the Cowboys will have surrounding their international showdown with Baltimore.

Did the NFL do the Cowboys a favor with their early schedule?

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku in action. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While the Cowboys start on the road, they return home in Week 2 to host the Washington Commanders. Following that game, they head off to Rio, which is considered a home game even though it's roughly 5,200 miles from Arlington.

After that, they're back on the road for an away game. The good news is that their Week 4 contest is against the Houston Texans, meaning they will at least be in their home state. They then make the 250 mile journey back home to Arlington, where they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.

That means they go from Texas in Week 2 to Brazil in Week 3, followed by two more games in Texas. In the end, that's not terrible since the travel is minimal outside of the international game.

This will still be a daunting stretch

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws downfield against the Houston Texans. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

While there's reason to believe the travel itself will be manageable, the Cowboys are still facing a brutal stretch. Baltimore might be turning to a new head coach in Jesse Minter, but they're a loaded team that won't be easy to deal with.

They then follow up that game with the Houston Texans, who boast one of the nastiest defenses in the NFL. The Cowboys will leave Houston to take on Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won't be an easy opponent either. It doesn't get better from there with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 and Week 7, respectively.

The Cowboys hope to be contenders this season and for that to happen, they need to prove themselves during this early gauntlet.

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