Cowboys, Giants open '26 season on Sunday Night Football

Field Level Media|published: Mon 11th May, 11:37 2026

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) greets Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) on the field after the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

John Harbaugh gets a shot at a statement in his first regular-season game as head coach of the New York Giants.

The NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys and Giants are set to square off in Week 1 in primetime on Sept. 13, the eighth time in 15 seasons they open the regular season in a head-to-head matchup.

The "Sunday Night Football" game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., where the Giants defeated the Cowboys for the first time since 2020 last season.

The NFL is releasing the full 2026 schedule on Thursday. Giants-Cowboys is among marquee games confirmed ahead of the release date.

Dallas dominated the series with the Giants in recent years by sweeping both regular-season matchups four consecutive years before New York took a game (34-17) from the Cowboys last season. The Cowboys earned a split with a 40-37 overtime win which was sent to OT by Brandon Aubrey's 64-yard field goal.

Harbaugh was hired as head coach of the Giants after being fired by the Ravens.

The Giants' last win at Dallas was in 2016.

--Field Level Media

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