Cowboys’ 2026 Schedule Is Already a Nightmare as Jerry Jones’ Side Forced to Travel 6,500+ Miles in First Three Games
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Cowboys’ 2026 Schedule Is Already a Nightmare as Jerry Jones’ Side Forced to Travel 6,500+ Miles in First Three Games
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ATLANTA, GA Ð NOVEMBER 03: Dallas owner Jerry Jones looks on prior to the start of the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons on November 3rd, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire NFL: NOV 03 Cowboys at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241103146
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ATLANTA, GA Ð NOVEMBER 03: Dallas owner Jerry Jones looks on prior to the start of the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons on November 3rd, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire NFL: NOV 03 Cowboys at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241103146
The NFL will release the full 2026 schedule on Thursday. However, the league already announced on Monday that the Dallas Cowboys will open their season against division rivals, the New York Giants, on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. It will mark the first time the Cowboys face the Giants in a season opener since Dallas’ dominant 40-0 win over New York back in 2023.
The matchup will mark the fourth straight season that Dallas begins the year on the road away from AT&T Stadium. At the same time, though, the announcement also brought another concerning detail for Jerry Jones’ team. To put that into perspective, the league previously confirmed that the Cowboys will face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on September 27, where Dallas will serve as the designated home team.
If Dallas ends up playing its Week 2 game at home, the Cowboys would still travel more than 6,500 miles across the first three weeks of the 2026 season alone.
Means the Cowboys will likely have their home opener in Week 2 before heading on the road for Rio.
Cowboys will have 6,500+ miles traveled in the first three weeks of the season. https://t.co/fi7MLVRz7k
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) May 11, 2026
“We’re thrilled and honored to be part of Rio’s first NFL game,” Jerry Jones said in a statement during the draft weekend. “Playing in the legendary Maracanã Stadium against the Ravens in front of such a passionate and growing fan base on a global stage will be very special for our team, our entire Cowboys organization and the millions watching back home and around the world.”
The Rio matchup will mark just the second international game in franchise history and the first since Dallas defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17 in 2014 at Wembley Stadium.
With two of their first three games potentially coming away from home, it is fair to expect Dallas to deal with a hectic travel schedule early in the 2026 season. For the broader context, the Los Angeles Chargers traveled the most miles in the NFL during the 2025 season at 38,214 miles. Coincidentally, the Chargers also played an international game in Brazil last year against the Kansas City Chiefs.
And heavy travel loads early in the season can create legitimate challenges for teams because of long flights, time-zone adjustments, disrupted recovery schedules, and inconsistent sleep patterns. While the NFL still has not unveiled the complete 2026 schedule yet, the Cowboys already appear set to headline one of the toughest travel stretches during the opening weeks of the season.
This is a developing story. Stay Tuned!
