Jerry Jones is floating an idea that could give the NFL’s 17th game a much more defined identity: make it a permanent rivalry matchup built around geography.
On an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones said the league could look at turning that extra game into a regular showcase for nearby teams - the kind of setup that could put the Cowboys and Texans in the spotlight, along with possible pairings like Eagles vs. Steelers, Giants vs.
Jets and Rams vs. Chargers.
“You can add that in the mix, and I’m not saying it’s not in the mix,” Jones said. “It’s just that other things come up and you have a different reason for the scheduling.
We obviously have a rotation involved that is the best as far as fair, complete competition year-in, year-out, around the entire league. But it’s certainly something that I would look at.
“And I wouldn’t just narrow it down to Dallas and Houston. I’d look at the entire league, you saw a game on TV [Thursday] night between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
They’re in the same division, but those kinds of proximities, those kinds of ‘my town against your town, and who’s the best town?’ Which I think is a fundamental of our game of football.
‘My town against your town. My school against your school.’
That’s a big part of it. It’s hard to emulate anyplace but in the United States to get that rolling.”
The NFL shifted from a 16-game schedule to a 17-game slate a few years ago, and Jones’ point is that the extra week could be used for something more recognizable than a rotating opponent. Instead of simply fitting into the league’s broader scheduling structure, the game could be reserved for local matchups that already carry built-in interest.
For Jones, the appeal is bigger than one Texas rivalry. He framed it as a league-wide possibility, one tied to the kind of town-vs.-town energy that has always been part of football.
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