The question of who does Dallas play next week usually triggers a frantic search for kickoff times and point spreads. But right now, the answer is a bit of a gut punch for the Cowboys faithful.
Dallas isn't playing anyone next week. Or the week after.
After a bumpy 2025 campaign that ended with a thud in the Meadowlands, the Dallas Cowboys are officially in "wait until next year" mode. While the NFL Divisional Round kicks off tomorrow, January 17, 2026, the Cowboys will be watching from their couches in Frisco. Their season wrapped up on January 4 with a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants, leaving them with a final record of 7-9-1.
Why there's no game on the schedule
If you're looking for a January 18 or January 19 matchup, you won't find one. The Cowboys missed the postseason entirely. In a year defined by the tragic loss of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland in November and a rollercoaster transition under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the team simply couldn't find the consistency needed to crack the NFC playoff bracket.
Honestly, the NFC East was a gauntlet this year. The Philadelphia Eagles and even the resurgent Washington Commanders made moves that left Dallas playing catch-up in the final weeks.
Who is playing in the NFL right now?
Since Dallas is out, the "next week" schedule belongs to the heavy hitters. If you're looking for football to watch, here is what the Divisional Round looks like:
- Saturday, Jan 17: Buffalo at Denver (4:30 PM ET) and San Francisco at Seattle (8:00 PM ET).
- Sunday, Jan 18: Houston at New England (3:00 PM ET) and LA Rams at Chicago (6:30 PM ET).
It's a tough pill to swallow seeing the Texans—the "other" Texas team—making a deep run while the Cowboys head into a massive offseason of soul-searching.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Dallas Cowboys opponents
Even though the pads are off for now, we actually already know who does Dallas play in the 2026 regular season. The NFL's scheduling formula is basically math, so the opponents were locked in the second the 2025 regular season ended.
Dallas finished second in the NFC East. Because of that, their 2026 schedule includes some brutal matchups against other second-place finishers and the standard divisional rotation. They’ll be facing the AFC South and the NFC West next year.
The 2026 Home Games at AT&T Stadium:
- Divisional Rivals: Giants, Eagles, Commanders.
- The Big Names: San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals.
- The Rest: Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2026 Road Trips:
- Divisional Rivals: Giants, Eagles, Commanders.
- Tough Environments: Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers (always a headache for Dallas), Los Angeles Rams.
- The In-State Battle: Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
- Indy Trip: Indianapolis Colts.
The most anticipated game for most fans is already the trip to Houston. With the Texans surging behind their young core, the battle for Texas bragging rights is going to be the ticket of the year in 2026.
Major storylines for the 2026 offseason
You can't talk about who does Dallas play next week without talking about the roster they'll be playing with. The 7-9-1 finish has put Brian Schottenheimer on a very warm seat heading into his second full year.
Dak Prescott remains the face of the franchise, but the questions about the supporting cast are louder than ever. CeeDee Lamb had another massive year, but the run game was a bit of a revolving door. The mid-season acquisition of Quinnen Williams helped the interior defense, but the secondary struggled during the December slide where they lost three of their last four games.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be the next "big game" for the front office. Picking in the middle of the first round gives them a chance to snag a day-one starter, likely on the offensive line or at linebacker to shore up the middle of that defense.
How to stay ready for 2026
While there's no game next week, the NFL calendar never truly stops. If you're a die-hard fan, these are the dates that actually matter now:
- Late January: Senior Bowl and the start of heavy draft scouting in Mobile, Alabama.
- February 8, 2026: Super Bowl LX (which, unfortunately, Dallas will only be attending as spectators).
- Late February: The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
- Mid-March: The start of NFL Free Agency. This is where Dallas usually keeps the checkbook closed, but given the 7-9-1 record, Jerry Jones might be feeling some pressure to spend.
- May 2026: The official 2026 NFL schedule release. This is when we’ll get the actual dates and times for the opponents listed above.
The "next week" for the Cowboys isn't about a kickoff; it's about the scouting department. They have a long road back to relevance in a conference that feels like it's getting faster every weekend.
Keep an eye on the coaching staff as well. While Schottenheimer is expected to stay, several assistant positions might see a shake-up after the defense allowed 34 points to a four-win Giants team in the season finale. That kind of performance doesn't usually go unpunished in Big D.
Track the progress of the recovering starters and watch the waiver wire as the playoffs progress. Often, the best offseason moves are the ones nobody talks about in January.