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when is the cowboys first game

The Dallas Cowboys’ official 2026 schedule (including exact Week 1 opponent, date, time, and TV) has not been fully released yet, so their precise first regular‑season game is still unknown as of February 2026.

What we do know

  • The 2026 NFL regular season is expected to kick off in early September, in line with recent years (typically the first Thursday after Labor Day, with other Week 1 games that weekend).
  • The Cowboys will definitely have a Week 1 game that same opening weekend, but the league has not yet finalized or published the detailed 2026 schedule grid (matchups + dates + times).
  • Their 2026 opponents are already set by the NFL’s rotation formula (NFC East, NFC West, AFC South, and a few conference‑placement games), but not the specific order of those games.

So, if you’re asking “when is the Cowboys first game?” in the sense of the next regular‑season opener, the honest answer is: it hasn’t been officially announced yet, but it will be in early September 2026, with the exact date and opponent to be confirmed when the NFL releases the full 2026 schedule in spring 2026.

How to keep up with the latest news

You can catch the exact first‑game details as soon as they drop by checking:

  1. The NFL’s official schedule page for the Cowboys once the 2026 slate is posted.
  1. Team‑focused schedule trackers such as FBSchedules or major sports sites (ESPN, CBS Sports, FOX, etc.), which update quickly after the league announcement.
  1. The Dallas Cowboys’ official site and app, which usually package the schedule with handy graphics and ticket links.

Think of it like waiting for a big movie release date: the studio (NFL) has said the “month and time of year,” but not the exact showtime yet.

Quick forum‑style scoop

On fan forums and social threads, people are already:

  • Speculating which opponent will headline Week 1 (division rival like the Eagles or Giants vs. a marquee non‑division team).
  • Debating whether an early tough matchup actually helps the Cowboys “set the tone” after a disappointing 2025 season.
  • Planning trips based on the locked‑in opponent list even though dates are pending, especially for big road venues (Seattle, Los Angeles, Green Bay, Houston, etc.).

Fast answer recap

  • First 2026 Cowboys regular‑season game: early September 2026, exact date and opponent not yet announced.
  • 2026 opponents are known; order and Week 1 matchup are still to be released by the NFL.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.