Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images Which of this year’s Day 3 draft picks are you most excited about? It’s been a while since the Cowboys found a starter, or even a key role player, with one of their sixth- or seventh-round draft picks. This didn’t used to be so unusual in Dallas, but lately, it’s been a dry spell. Hopefully, one of their 2025 late-round rookies will end the drought. You can quickly get into a semantics argument about the term “late-round pick,” with some arguing that fifth-rounders or even all Day 3 picks qualify. And even if we did include fifth-round picks, you wouldn’t have much to show from recent history beyond CB DaRon Bland. The jury’s still out on guys like Asim Richards and Caelen Carson. But for today, we’re focusing on those final two rounds. When the Cowboys go to training camp this year, only Donovan Wilson and Israel Mukuamu will be late-round guys who aren’t still on their original contracts. And from that latter group, there’s nobody left from 2022 and only Deuce Vaughn and Jalen Brooks from 2023. Ryan Flournoy and Nathan Thomas are still here from last year’s draft. So is Justin Rogers, but only after not making it past final cuts, spending most of last year on the Bengals’ practice squad, and getting poached by Dallas in late December. Obviously, none of these guys outside of Wilson is a starter or even expected to play a major role this season. Right now, most of them are on the roster bubble at best. This isn’t a surprise for most late-round picks, but it’s unfortunate that the Cowboys haven’t found more from their McCarthy-era drafts. Before 2020, we generally came away with a least one useful player from the sixth and seventh rounds. The most notable during Jason Garrett’s tenure was CB Anthony Brown in 2016, who stuck around for seven years and started 69 games. We also got S Kavon Frazier that year, who played out his rookie deal in a backup role. 2017 brought S Xavier Woods, who started nearly every game during his four years. Special teams ace Dwayne Harris came in 2011, as did memorable offensive role players like Geoff Swaim (2015) and James Hanna (2012) at tight end and Noah Brown (2017) and Cedrick Wilson (2018) at receiver. Even guys who didn’t stick long in Dallas, like CB Terrance Mitchell (2014) and DT Sean Lissemore (2010), found traction with other teams after leaving. If not for back and neck injuries which cut his career short, 2013 sixth-round pick DeVonte Holloman might have been the best of the bunch. He looked like a budding playmaker at linebacker when he did get on the field as a rookie, but a preseason neck injury in 2014 led to his early retirement and one of the sadder “we’ll never know” stories. So yeah, we either used to be better at finding late-round talent or at least had better luck with them. Either way, it’d be nice to get back to it with these 2025 picks. Several are poised to play significant roles, perhaps even as rookies, if they can hit the ground running. Take sixth-round OL Ajani Cornelius. While we’re not looking for him to challenge Tyler Guyton or Terence Steele for their starting jobs, could he make a push for swing tackle? Asim Richards has the job right now by default, and it’d be nice to more competitive there. If Cornelius can provide versatile depth at tackle and guard, that can help Dallas with its roster decisions come August. Many are excited about seventh-round RB Phil Mafah’s potential as the thunder to Jaydon Blue’s lightning. Outside of FB Hunter Luepke, whose value as a ball carrier is still questionable, no other current option has a real power game. Mafah could be very important in certain game situations, rounding out the depth chart with his strengths. DT Jay Toia could be Dallas’ leading nose tackle right out of the gate. Mazi Smith will still have a say in that, but Toia comes out of college with more experience and natural fitness for the role. If Smith gets recast in Matt Eberflus’ scheme, or perhaps falls out of favor completely, Toia could be asked to handle some heavy burdens early. His fellow seventh-rounder, Tommy Akingbesote, could also be competitive at what’s currently a thin DT depth chart. Even before the last five years, there were plenty of late-round picks who we saw little to nothing from. For every good name we mentioned before there were even more like Jalen Jelks, Mike Weber, Markques White, Darius Jackson, Rico Gathers, Mark Nzeocha, Ben Gardner, Caleb McSurdy, and others who came and went. That’s the norm for sixth- and seventh-rounders, but at least with all those misses we usually had at least one hit every year or two. Hopefully, this 2025 group will help get our batting average back up.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Here is a look at the state of the Cowboys receiver group. In 2024, the Dallas Cowboys offense never seem to get going like we had previously seen it. Then there was the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott. While there were occasionally bright spots occasionally, it illuminated the glaring need to find another wide receiver to take the pressure off CeeDee Lamb. With Prescott out of the lineup, a limited offense was now crippled. The Cowboys weren’t deep enough at wide receiver to alleviate the issues of a backup quarterback. However, this year is sure to be different thanks to a renewed focus on the running game, and one big acquisition. Let’s check on the wide receiver room for 2025. CeeDee Lamb Likely the best part about the George Pickens trade is that it allows Lamb to play freely anywhere along the formation. Lamb is equally as potent in the slot as he is an outside receiver, but the threat of Pickens will divert the eyes of the defense away and should give Lamb more space to operate with. You give Lamb quality targets and good things are going to happen. He has already set franchise records in yards and receptions in a season, he is just that good. Lamb’s numbers have proven he has the goods to get it done. This year, facing more single coverage than he has in a long time, Lamb may eclipse career bests in terms of efficiency. George Pickens Dallas sent their 2026 third-round and 2027 fifth-round picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers for George Pickens and Pittsburgh’s 2027 sixth-round pick. The trade is exactly what the Cowboys needed. A secondary receiver who can win on the outside, make difficult contested catches, and has enough of an edge to elevate the toughness of the team. Pickens is a big play threat, with terrific body control to make circus catches and elite hand/eye coordination. In his first three seasons as a pro, Pickens has compiled 174 receptions, 2,841 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns. Pickens is in a contract year so you should expect the best is yet to come. If Dallas signs Pickens to a new contract, great. If not, that also shouldn’t be a problem. Dallas likely would net a high compensation pick for Pickens if he signs with a new team next offseason, therefore rental may not cost much. Jalen Tolbert The Pickens trade has a trickle-down effect for everyone and for Jalen Tolbert it is addition by subtraction for him. You feel infinitely better about Tolbert’s prospects if he’s not being counted as the team’s number two receiver. That’s not to write off Tolbert entirely. He’s deceptively good at tracking the ball downfield and making contested catches. He could also stand to improve on separation from defenders while running his routes, but overall it’s adequate for what you’re asking from your third receiver. Ultimately, it’s an ideal situation for the offense and Tolbert as he plays out the final year of his contract and again, because of Pickens’ presence, he will see more favorable coverages. Jonathan Mingo Jonathan Mingo may become a forgotten guy now relegated to no better than the fourth receiver, but that’s not a bad thing although it cost the Cowboys a fourth-round pick to trade for him. The Cowboys gave themselves a chance with a player they coveted as a collegiate prospect and have him under contract for the next two seasons. Mingo should have plenty of opportunities to cement himself on the depth chart with a strong training camp and preseason. There will be competition behind him though. Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper had a nice offseason last year and are still in the fold. All Mingo has to do is hold steady and his place on the team should be firm. KaVontae Turpin KaVontae Turpin is the fifth wide receiver for the team but he can do so much more than play receiver. Turpin enters his fourth year with the Cowboys and is fresh off his first All-Pro selection as a return specialist. Turpin will be in the fold for the future after the club rewarded him with a three-year, $13.5M contract. His uncanny speed has to be utilized more within the offensive gameplan by getting him touches through whatever means possible. As a returner, he’s among the best and led the NFL with 33.5 yards per kickoff return last season. While the Cowboys have invested in running backs this offseason, it would be beneficial to craft a few running plays designed to get Turpin the ball in space against the defense. The Rest Jalen BrooksRyan FlournoyParris CampbellJalen CropperKelvin Harmon

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys should really consider giving George Pickens an extension now. The dust has firmly settled on the Dallas Cowboys trading for wide receiver George Pickens and it feels fair to say that we have all moved on to the point of excitement for what he can offer this football team. Pickens will hopefully serve as a rising tide to lift the boats of CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, whoever the starting or most-used running back winds up being, and obviously of Dak Prescott. That he is only 24 years old, as of just two months ago, suggests that this can be the case for the foreseeable future as well. This is likely part of the logic that led the Cowboys to calling the Pittsburgh Steelers and agreeing to give up their third-round pick (in terms of the major asset spent). It stands to reason that the Cowboys made the move with the assumption that they and Pickens would be working together for a long time. So they should pay him now. The Cowboys should give George Pickens an extension now One of the cons, if you will, to spending a third-round pick on Pickens is that 2025 is the final year of his rookie contract. You are giving away a top 100 selection for a player who, if he is in fact going to be around past this season, you now have to pay top dollar for. This is a conundrum that would exist for any NFL team to be clear, but it isn’t picking on the Cowboys to say that they have handled this exact type of situation poorly in recent history. Look at CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott (multiple times), Micah Parsons currently or anybody else who you want to name as examples. Proactivity is not something that Dallas prioritizes relative to contract extensions for their players. When we have conversations around those types of things the word leverage often comes up. Players obtain more leverage against the Cowboys because the team allows them to get so close to free agency and the players can then weaponize that in the name of getting the best deal possible for them. Tale as old as time. Examining the spirit of leverage when it comes to George Pickens, the Cowboys have already given him and his representation a lot. They spent a third-round pick to get him as he enters a contract year, which as we spent some time discussing up top, suggests that they have no plans of him leaving elsewhere. So why not nip that in the bud right now? From a logistical standpoint the Pickens trade has reminded me, and many others, of the Philadelphia Eagles acquiring A.J. Brown when the 2021 NFL Draft began. Philly spent a first-rounder to land Brown and clearly the move has worked out for them. But what is notable about that whole sequence is that the first thing the Eagles did was give Brown an extension to tie him to their organization for the future. They did this before he ever played a down for them. Why? Because you don’t trade a premium pick for someone who you don’t plan on being around and the earlier you pay, the better the rate you get. Is there a situation that you can conceive where all of these things come to pass? Pickens has an exceptional season for the Cowboys The team has incredible success, largely because of this He signs a deal with the team in the offseason (weeks before entering the open market) that is beneficial to the team from a financial standpoint The answer to the question is no. These things cannot coexist with one another. If the first two things happen, which is our collective hope by the way, then the team will be kicking themselves for not getting ahead of the curve on an extension (another tale as old as time). For context, I would not have made the Pickens trade but am obviously rooting for it to succeed. Given that the trade is complete, the immediate thought was that an extension makes sense. Not getting it done feels like wandering down the same path that we have been yelling at the front office to avoid. When sharing those thoughts, one popular response is that Dallas could get a third-round compensatory pick for Pickens if he walks so an extension isn’t anything to worry about. While this is certainly possible in a literal sense, it is important to also contextualize that possibility. In order for Dallas to get a third-round comp pick for Pickens the following things would all have to (generally speaking) happen as well. Pickens would have to play moderately to very well Dallas would have to let him walk in free agency Team X would have to pay him something substantial (which would suggest he did in fact play very well) The Cowboys would have to sit idly by in free agency (which we don’t want) Even if all of these things happened, the comp pick in question would not come until 2027. By that point in time the Cowboys could have benefited from another season of Pickens’ play if it is to the level that we are all hoping and predicting. This feels like a mirage of a carrot. Ultimately this all comes down to whether or not the Cowboys believe Pickens to be a player worth having around at a serious price. They have already signaled that to a serious degree by trading for him with the price they paid on top of the contract situation he is currently in.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images It is incredible how popular the Dallas Cowboys remain. Even coming off a 7-10 record, combined with hiring an unproven head coach, cannot keep the Dallas Cowboys out of primetime. When the schedule was released on Wednesday evening, Dallas was given eight standalone matchups, which is tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated talked with Onnie Bose, the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting, about why the Cowboys are still at the top of primetime matchups no matter where they finish in the standings. “Look, the Cowboys are always a draw, the fan base is there, the interest is there,” Bose said. “Yes, they were 7–10 last year, but they had 12–5 seasons the three previous years, Dak [Prescott] was hurt. Where will they be this year, 12–5 or 7–10? Well, they’re in one of the most competitive divisions, they have a track record, you have CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons. This wasn’t going to be the year the Cowboys were only going to get two prime-time games.” Bose laid it out well. Ultimately, the interest will always be in Dallas, whether they win or lose. Fans love them, and fans love to hate them, which does well with ratings. The Cowboys also continue to have “star power.” Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and eventually Micah Parsons are among the highest-paid players at their positions. Even if 2025 was not the year for Dallas to step back in primetime slots, Breer asks the question of whether that time will ever come, or if the name will carry them whenever the talent dwindles. When deciding who would play on Thanksgiving, Bose stuck to their original goal for the 2025 season of going “big in the big windows” and landed on the Chiefs taking on the Cowboys. “Thanksgiving has our most viewed games, people are together, they’re watching before or after dinner,” said Bose. “So, again, thanks to the depth of the schedule we had, there was the opportunity to go big. And that Dallas game is usually our most viewed game of the year, so why not bring the two biggest brands, and get that much more attention on it? A lot of people are going to have that game on.” There’s little doubt that the NFL acknowledged the potential viewership a Kansas City versus Dallas matchup could generate from a ratings standpoint on Thanksgiving. The numbers from this game may be as untouchable as Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing record. With the Cowboys playing on two major holidays this year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, there was also consideration given “to the fan bases and stadium workers.” This is why no team (Cowboys, Lions, Chiefs) will host two holiday home games and why Dallas is on the road in Washington on Dec 25. While some fans may dislike that the Cowboys are the spotlight and headline primetime games, this is simply how business operates in the NFL. Dallas consistently generates more interest than nearly all other teams in the league, so until the day comes when they are no longer America’s Team, they will be the center of attention.

The Dallas Cowboys have their first bulletin board item of the 2025 season, the first for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer as the replacement to Mike McCarthy. They will open their season in primetime, on the road, against the defending Super Bowl champions that hail from their very own division, the Philadelphia Eagles. There is no shortage of storylines whenever these teams get together, and Dallas trying to snap a three-game losing streak in Philadelphia against all odds, and start 2025 with a winning record after finishing 7-10 for their first losing season since 2020 a year ago is just one place to start. An Eagles win in front of their home crowd on the night they raise their second championship banner would actually give them their first three-game win streak in this rivalry since week 14 of 2003, Week 10 of 2004, and Week 15 of that same season. The pressure is on early for Schottenheimer to establish himself against last year’s division winner, and will only continue one way or the other as the Cowboys will continue division play in the next week against the New York Giants. Schottenheimer has not backed down one bit in his remarks so far to the media when it comes to holding himself to a championship standard, having an unquestionable work ethic, and being successful as a first-time head coach because of these things. For this success to start on opening night, Schottenheimer will have to do something his predecessor Mike McCarthy never did, and something that is of heightened importance considering Schottenheimer is also directly replacing McCarthy’s role as offensive play-caller after being his offensive coordinator. The Cowboys will have to beat Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who just won his first Super Bowl by beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 40-22. The Eagles defensive performance in the Super Bowl, given the circumstance of the offense they played against, was nothing short of epic as they didn’t allow a touchdown until the third quarter with a 34-0 lead and provided six points themselves with an interception return for touchdown. The very next QB to get a crack at this defense, which was bolstered by the Eagles spending their first five picks in April’s draft all on defense, will be the league’s highest paid in Dak Prescott. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys will be out to prove early that on the laundry list of things that went wrong as a team last season, missing Prescott for at least five games for the second time in three seasons belongs squarely at the top. To do so, they will still need Prescott to elevate the entirety of the offense around him in a way Dallas unfairly asked him to do at the start of last season given the lack of run game options, offensive line depth, or receiving threats beyond CeeDee Lamb. While it’s true the Cowboys have been mostly applauded for their activity in all phases of player acquisition to address these areas, trading for Miles Sanders, signing Javonte Williams, drafting Javonte Blue and Phil Mafa, drafting Tyler Booker 12th overall, and trading for George Pickens, there is still a way the Cowboys can help Prescott make it all work that remains the biggest question going into year one of Schottenheimer. With his hiring being yet another close to the vest move by the Jones family, does it mean the offense will remain in the same image it has from even before the McCarthy era, or is Schottenheimer finally the right hire alongside new OC Klayton Adams to move it forward schematically? Putting this ultimate question to the test right out of the gate, against a defensive coordinator in Fangio who’s had every answer to the Cowboys predictability on offense for a long time now, is great early-season theater for the NFL between two teams they’ll highlight plenty all year long. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Fangio was the head coach for the Denver Broncos in 2021 when his team came to AT&T Stadium and beat Prescott and the Cowboys 30-16. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Cowboys, as they were held to the second fewest yards of the season with 290. It was also Prescott’s lowest completion percentage of the season, with the fewest first downs by the team all year as well. The next season is when Fangio would first join the Eagles, but it is something of a wash when it comes to the relevant history on topic here. Fangio served as just a consultant to DC Jonathan Gannon. The Eagles defense still got the better of the Cowboys on home field, but it was in a primetime game started by Cooper Rush, his first loss of the season. The Cowboys bounced back to win the home rematch later in the season, with Prescott this time, but it was the Eagles down to a backup quarterback in that matchup with Gardner Minshew (who surprisingly gave Dan Quinn’s defense trouble in a 40-34 Dallas shootout win). Picking back up with 2023, Fangio was in his only season as defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys played on the road there in Week 16, fresh off of road loss to another AFC East opponent in the Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys offense was again stymied by Fangio in a 22-20 losing effort, cementing a pair of losses that proved very telling about the form Dallas took into the playoffs leading to a swift Wild Card round exit versus the Packers. Fangio returned to Philadelphia as DC last season, and as if he needed any more help beating Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys, got both of his matchups against Cooper Rush again. The Eagles beat the Cowboys in Arlington 34-6, again putting up their fewest yards and first downs of the season against this defense, and 41-7 at home in a game Dallas was already eliminated from playoff contention. Taking it for what it’s worth, there was nothing

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The only thing left for the Cowboys to do this offseason is take care of the Micah Parsons extension. For all intents and purposes the offseason is now over for the Dallas Cowboys and NFL at large. This is obviously not literally true. It is barely the middle of May. But all significant activity is now complete with the league’s schedule releasing on Wednesday. That is done, the NFL draft is complete and free agency was opened long, long ago. We are left at this point the worst part of the offseason as there is just a lot of sitting and waiting between now and when teams report to training camp. There are around 100 days to go so I hope that you have made proper summer plans. Hopefully the Cowboys have one item left on their agenda to take care of before going on vacation themselves, and if we are allowed to hope it will be an extension for Micah Parsons. Stephen Jones spoke to the matter on Thursday, for what it’s worth. Stephen Jones wouldn’t comment state of Micah Parsons’ talks other than to say “When the right things come together and everybody is ready to do a deal then it happens. Certainly, we want Micah here and he knows we want him here. And I think ultimately, we’ll get something done.” — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) May 15, 2025 There remains no excuse why Parsons wasn’t taken care of last offseason by the Cowboys, but water under the bridge and all of that. It is fair to note that they had their hands full up to this point in the offseason, but as noted there is nothing holding them back from getting this done now. For our Friday discussion we want to know what you think – will the Cowboys have this taken care of before leaving for training camp? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys news is delivered. 2025 NFL schedule release: Judging overreactions to matchups – Dan Graziano, ESPN The back half of the Cowboys schedule is a gauntlet of tough teams. The Cowboys could have a very unhappy holiday season Dallas has a Week 10 bye, which is just about the ideal time to have one. The Cowboys also come out of it to play on a Monday night (in Las Vegas). So, the Cowboys will have 13 days off before starting the second half of their season. They’d better rest up … After the Raiders game, the Cowboys have a home matchup against the Eagles on short rest then a Thanksgiving Day game against the visiting Chiefs on even shorter rest. So after nearly two weeks without playing, they’ll have three games in 11 days, with two of those coming against last season’s Super Bowl teams. Then they’re at Detroit the following Thursday before home games against the Vikings and Chargers in Weeks 15 and 16. Dallas is then at Washington on Christmas Day on another Sunday-to-Thursday turnaround before finishing with a likely layup against the Giants in New Jersey. Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION I mean, even acknowledging the fact that all the same teams that were good last season aren’t sure to be good again this season, that is a rough stretch. Three short-week games in the final six weeks of the season is no team’s idea of a good time. All four of the Cowboys’ post-bye road games are in different time zones than the one they play in. And all four of their post-bye home games are against teams that made the playoffs last season. If the Cowboys want to take their turn in the annual flip-flopping of the NFC East title between them and Philadelphia, they might have to build up a big pre-bye division lead. Stephen Jones: I think ultimately we’ll get something done with Micah Parsons – Charean Williams, PFT The contract that hangs over the offseason. There is nothing new to report and not much new to say about where talks between the Cowboys and Micah Parsons stand. Parsons wants a long-term extension, and the Cowboys are dragging their feet as they have on signing their big-name players to deals. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones commented on Parsons on Thursday, using different words to say the same thing: They want a deal with the edge rusher, and eventually they will get a deal with him. “When the right things come together, and everybody’s ready to do a deal, then it happens,” Jones told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “We want Micah here. He knows we want him here. I think ultimately we’ll get something done.” Depth Chart: Can Cowboys safeties stay consistent? – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys safety group has received little attention recently. Battle to Watch: Can one of the two undrafted free agents crack the roster? Syracuse’s Alijah Clark and Eastern Kentucky’s Mike Smith have an interesting challenge in front of them and will likely have to beat the other out to earn a roster spot. With a likely early emphasis on how they can help on special teams, both have the ability to develop into players that can eventually contribute on defensive snaps. Clark is younger at 21 years old compared to Smith’s 23 years of age, but Smith is heavier in his frame at 209 pounds to Clark’s 188. The two were two of the three highest paid UDFA’s in the Cowboys’ class this year, meaning they believe enough in what they have to offer to give them a chance. Time is Now: Juanyeh Thomas was one of three exclusive rights free agents that the Cowboys signed for the 2025 season, giving him another year to prove himself for Dallas. Thomas has been a contributor on special teams throughout his two NFL seasons thus far and didn’t play as many defensive snaps last year as he did in his 2023 season. Can he earn more snaps in 2025 and solidify a spot in the secondary going forward? He’ll need a good camp to do so, and already has set himself up nicely as a special teams contributor. […] Don’t Forget About … Malik Hooker has been so consistent along the Cowboys’ secondary that it feels like at times, he’s forgotten about. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it means he isn’t getting completely picked on, and has been relatively healthy during the course of his time with the Cowboys. Now, he reunites with his former defensive coordinator in Indianapolis Matt Eberflus, who coached him for his final three seasons in Indianapolis. He’s had at least one interception in seven of his eight NFL seasons and for the most part, has been a reliable coverage safety for the Cowboys in his four years in Dallas. Dallas Cowboys 2025 schedule: An early peek at what to watch in all 17 games – Nick Harris, Star-Telegram A look at each game on the schedule. The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their first season with head coach Brian Schottenheimer, as they look to rebound from a 7-10 season in 2024. While the team’s opponents were known back in January, the official 2025 schedule was released by the NFL on Wednesday night. Here is the full 17-game slate with notes on each game. Week 1: Cowboys at Eagles (Thurs., Sept. 4 at 7:20 p.m. CST on NBC) The Cowboys will open the season on the road in the first game of the NFL season, as the Eagles will hang their Super Bowl banner from last season’s success. It will mark the official beginning of the Brian Schottenheimer era in Dallas and the first regular season game for new addition George Pickens. Week 2: Giants at Cowboys (Sun., Sept. 14 at 12 p.m. CST on FOX) The team’s home opener will feature the New York Giants coming into town for the first time with

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images The NFL finally got sick of putting Cowboys games against the Giants in primetime. The Dallas Cowboys, America’s Team, have six primetime games on their 2025 schedule. That total ranks second among all NFL teams, just behind the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles win a Super Bowl, yet they are given just five primetime matchups (it just felt necessary to put that there). One matchup missing from all the optimal time slots for Dallas this year is against the New York Giants. Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated was the first to highlight this point in his NFL schedule column. I’m taking a victory lap for my 2021 column on the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants no longer being premium television. Flex notwithstanding, this is the first time I can remember (research pending) this game not having even one premium time slot. That sounded like an open invitation to do some digging. Even if Monday night, Thursday night, and Sunday night are considered the “primetime slots,” any game that appears during the 4:25 pm ET window will have less competition for games or be on America’s Game of the Week. Therefore, it should be considered a ‘prime viewing’ window for any matchup. With that criteria in mind, it will be the first time since 2005 that the Cowboys and Giants will not have a matchup in a prime viewing window (Week 18 is currently TBD). It’s not like the NFL has tried to make this change slowly. They have decided to cut cold turkey. Dak Prescott hasn’t lost to the Giants since his rookie year in 2016. pic.twitter.com/zV2NqOreWu — NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 27, 2024 Last year, Dallas and New York played two Thursday night matchups, one being on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys 27-20 win over the Giants “averaged 38.8 million viewers, the fourth most-watched Thanksgiving Day game on record and fifth most-watched NFL regular season game on record (records date back to 1988).” Even with drawing in record-setting numbers, let’s be honest—it’s been a painfully one-sided matchup for years, especially in recent history. Week 1 (2023) — Cowboys 40 Giants 0 Week 10 (2023) — Cowboys 49 Giants 17 Week 4 (2024) — Cowboys 20 Giants 15 Week 13 (2024) — Cowboys 27 Giants 20 *was 27-10 heading into the 4th quarter* Dallas against New York has been a marquee matchup for the NFL, having them face off in Week 1 seven times since 2012, three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017. However, the league had to pull the plug on prime scheduling for this game with New York fading into the distance among NFC teams. There’s a chance that Week 18 could mean something if the game is put in the 4:25 pm ET window, but history will favor the fact that it probably won’t happen. You can get a discount on tickets for games from Vivid Seats ($30 off your first Vivid Seats order of $300 or more ) by using our special BTB discount code: SBN30COWBOYS

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images We have a variety of Dallas Cowboys schedule wallpapers available in both mobile and desktop versions. The 2025 Dallas Cowboys schedule was released on Thursday and now we can finally plan for the best time of the year. There is a lot of fun to be had relative to the schedule and it means different things to different people. Given how football runs our lives, something we like to do regarding the schedule is to keep it handy. For the last few years we have been making wallpapers with the schedule on it for four time zones: ET, CT, PST and GMT. We understand that there are people who live in other parts of the world and want to appease everyone, but this covers the United States and also establishes a solid reference point for anyone else. Below you will find several different options for both mobile and desktop wallpaper options. There is a basic mobile one with no player on it, but then there are a few others with different choices. We also have player-specific wallpapers for desktop. If you have a specific request drop it in the comments and we will do our best to take care of everyone. We hope you enjoy. General Mobile Micah Parsons Mobile Micah Parsons Desktop Dak Prescott Mobile Dak Prescott Desktop CeeDee Lamb Mobile CeeDee Lamb Desktop DeMarvion Overshown Mobile DeMarvion Overshown Desktop Trevon Diggs Mobile Trevon Diggs Desktop Osa Odighizuwa Mobile Osa Odighizuwa Desktop Tyler Booker Mobile Tyler Booker Desktop

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Cowboys have a unique twist to their 2025 schedule. There’s no more speculation about when and where the Dallas Cowboys will play their 2025 opponents. On Wednesday, their full schedule was released. Dallas begins the season with two games in the NFC East, allowing them to establish themselves early within their division. They will have one of the toughest stretches to end the season as six of their last eight games are against playoff teams from 2024. However, the Cowboys will play four of those games at home. There is one unique aspect of the Cowboys’ upcoming schedule. No, it’s not the fact that they’ll play six primetime games with multiple Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football matchups. It’s the fact that Dallas will be the first team to play four Thursday night games in one season. The Cowboys are the first team to have four Thursday games, according to ESPN Research. Week 1 at Philly, Week 13 vs. KC, Week 14 at Detroit, Week 17 at Washington. — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) May 15, 2025 It begins with their season-opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Nothing would be sweeter for the Cowboys than to get a victory on the road against the Eagles on the night that they raise the banner on their second championship. History says they’ll have a great chance to do that with Dak Prescott on the field. He’s 9-4 for his career as a starter against the Eagles, including three wins in Philadelphia. The second Thursday night game for Dallas is when they host the three-time defending AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Week 13 on Thanksgiving. This will undoubtedly be one of the highest-rated games of the season with Patrick Mahomes, a Texas native, making his first appearance inside AT&T Stadium. When these teams last met in 2021 at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs won 19-9. Hopefully, the Cowboys will be in playoff contention when this game takes place, which will make the matchup even bigger. Things don’t get any easier for the Cowboys a week later. They will travel to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions, marking the third consecutive season the two teams will meet. In 2023, the Cowboys won a 20-19 thriller at home that came down to the final moments. Last season, the Lions steamrolled the Cowboys 47-9. This will be one of the games that says a lot about who Dallas is as a team in 2025. The Cowboys’ last game on Thursday will be in Week 17 when they travel to play the Washington Commanders. When talking about old NFC East football, the rivalry with Dallas and Washington laid the groundwork. Despite Prescott not playing in either game against Washington in 2024, the Cowboys were able to split the season series. With how tight the division has the potential to be, this matchup could make or break either team’s playoff chances. You can get a discount on tickets for games from Vivid Seats ($30 off your first Vivid Seats order of $300 or more ) by using our special BTB discount code: SBN30COWBOYS