Cowboys 2026 NFL Schedule Released for Dak Prescott, Lamb, George Pickens' 2nd Year

Let the bounce-back season begin for the Dallas Cowboys.

With key players such as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens back, the Cowboys will be looking to return to the playoffs after going 7-9-1 during the 2025 campaign. It was the second straight year they missed the postseason, but they now know the schedule they must navigate if they are going to return.

With matchups against a handful of presumed contenders, Dallas will have its hands full in 2026.

Full schedule information available on the team's official website.

Analysis

The Cowboys and the rest of the NFC East will face the AFC South and NFC West this season, which is something of a daunting proposition.

After all, the NFC West is arguably the best division in football with the reigning Super Bowl champions in the Seattle Seahawks, the team they defeated in the NFC Championship Game in the Los Angeles Rams and a San Francisco 49ers squad that went 12-5 last season.

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The AFC South may have meant easier games in the past, but the Jacksonville Jaguars went 13-4 while the Houston Texans went 12-5 last season. Even the Indianapolis Colts were playoff contenders before Daniel Jones suffered an injury.

Dallas' additional games come against the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That is anything but easy, as all three have playoff aspirations behind quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love and Baker Mayfield.

And the Cowboys' biggest problem last season was their defense, which will have to figure out a way to slow down quarterbacks like that if they are going to be realistic playoff threats from the NFC East.

Given how many difficult games are on this slate even outside of the intra-divisional ones, that defense will have to take a significant leap.

Pivotal Matchups

As is always the case, the Cowboys' matchups against the rival Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders stand out.

After all, Philadelphia enters the new season as back-to-back NFC East champions and the hurdle Dallas and every other team in the division must clear. Washington is coming off a disappointing effort, but it is still just one season removed from its NFC Championship Game appearance.

How Prescott and Co. perform in those four contests will go a long way toward determining their spot in the final standings.

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But they aren't the only games that will matter in the NFC playoff picture.

The 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and Packers represent more than half of last season's NFC postseason field, and all of them are on Dallas' schedule for the 2026 campaign. Head-to-head matchups will be key in the battle for positioning, home-field advantage and wild-card spots, so the Cowboys cannot afford to play poorly in these ones. 

If they play well, a return to the playoffs could be in store.