There are fewer than 10 days left before the Dallas Cowboys open the 2026 season, and they’ll do it on the road in primetime against the New York Giants.
That kind of start always carries extra weight, but this one feels especially important. It’s an NFC East matchup, it’s on the road, and it’s one of only three road games Dallas has all season. A win wouldn’t just be a nice early result - it would matter in the kind of way that can come back around later in tiebreaker conversations.
The Cowboys, though, haven’t exactly made a habit of starting fast. Their last 10 season openers have produced a mixed bag, and that stretch covers the entire Dak Prescott era, with Prescott starting all 10 games.
Last 10 Dallas Cowboys season openers
2025: Loss at Philadelphia Eagles
2024: Win at Cleveland Browns
2023: Win at New York Giants
2022: Loss vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021: Loss at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020: Loss at Los Angeles Rams
2019: Win vs. New York Giants
2018: Loss at Carolina Panthers
2017: Win vs. New York Giants
2016: Loss vs. New York Giants
Four wins in 10 openers is not much to lean on, though three of those victories came against the Giants. Dallas did drop one opener to New York, too - Prescott’s first start - in a game that still leaves one of those old “what if” moments hanging around.
Still, none of those results tells us much about the 2026 Cowboys. This is a new roster, and the same goes for the Giants.
Dallas also saw Jaxson Dart in last year’s season finale, but that game had no playoff meaning attached to it, since both teams were already out of contention. Plus, John Harbaugh is now in tow as well.
So the opener stands on its own. The Cowboys would love to get rolling with a win, and plenty of people expect them to do just that. But expectations are one thing, and season openers have a way of reminding everyone that nothing is promised.
In Other News...
Cowboys Just Raised The Stakes On DaRon Bland And Jake Ferguson
The Cowboys made a notable cap maneuver by restructuring the contracts of Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, and the ripple effect is bigger than a simple bookkeeping update. The moves cleared $19 million in space and pushed Dallas to $33 million in available cap room, giving the front office much more room to work as it looks ahead to the next phase of roster building.
Bland and Ferguson also now carry larger dead-cap hits, which makes a quick exit far less likely and underscores how seriously Dallas is treating both players in its long-term plans. The bigger question is what the Cowboys do with all that flexibility, because the kind of financial room they just created could put a major defensive swing within reach as they eye the 2026 market. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Showed Which Fringe Players They Trust Most
The Cowboys have finished trimming to their 53-man roster, and the final decisions offered a decent read on which fringe players won the staff over this summer. Undrafted rookie receiver Camden Brown made the cut after a strong preseason, a sign Dallas is willing to reward production when a young player forces his way into the conversation. Jonathan Mingo, a former second-round pick, also held onto a spot, giving the Cowboys another receiver option as they sort out the depth behind their top names.
Tyrus Wheat was another player who made enough of an impression to stick, thanks largely to his work on special teams and the value he provides as depth on the defensive edge. For a team that always has to balance upside with reliability at the bottom of the roster, those are the kinds of roles that matter. The bigger takeaway is less about one surprise and more about which players the Cowboys clearly trust to help them navigate the season if injuries or matchup needs start forcing the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Added A Risky New Twist To Their Tackle Battle
The Cowboys have added another layer to their offensive line picture by trading for Broderick Jones from the Steelers, a move that gives them extra depth and a fresh challenger at right tackle. Dallas sent draft picks to bring in a former first-round talent whose career has already been marked by both promise and turbulence, including a neck injury and stretches of uneven play that have kept the evaluation process going longer than expected.
Jones is still working his way back to full strength after missing time, and the fit is not as simple as plugging him into one spot and moving on. He has looked more comfortable at left tackle at times, but technique and consistency have remained issues, which is what makes this competition so interesting for the Cowboys. It also leaves the front office with a familiar kind of offensive-line question: whether the upside is worth the uncertainty, and how quickly Jones can turn opportunity into trust. [Read more 🡒]