The NFL released its 2025 schedule, and it’s often met with excitement for football to return, paired with criticism for the league putting teams in difficult positions. There’s not one schedule more challenging than the Dallas Cowboys’ schedule.

Here are our takeaways from the Cowboys’ schedule.

STILL AMERICA’S TEAM

The Cowboys are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs and, shockingly, the Washington Commanders for the most stand-alone games at 8 this season. After the Chiefs made the Super Bowl and the Commanders made the NFC Championship Game, many debate how the Cowboys fit into the fold. The Cowboys draw ratings no matter when they’re playing or how they’re playing. The NFL has a challenge of setting up meaningful primetime games towards the end of the season, but everyone will watch the Cowboys if they are on television.

THE TOUGHEST STRETCH IN NFL HISTORY

The Cowboys will have a tough stretch in Weeks 12-17. All of these teams are 11+ win squads from 2024, the first time a NFL team will face this gauntlet in the league’s history. The Eagles and Chiefs are both games the Cowboys will be on short weeks, followed by the Lions, Vikings, Chargers, and Washington Commanders on Christmas Day. The level of competition is high, and in the most pivotal time of the season. Perhaps Dallas can make up ground in the playoff standings, or the daunting schedule will prove too much for the Cowboys.

FOUR THURSDAY GAMES

The Cowboys will also have four Thursday Night games this year. Week 1 against the Eagles, Thanksgiving hosting the Chiefs, the Lions the following week, and the Commanders on Christmas Day. The NFL’s most devastating blows have come on Thursday Nights due to sloppy play and players being more prone to injuries. Week 1 won’t be a short week, but the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day games will be. Against two viable opponents and with potential playoff seeding on the line, these games are important for Dallas to win, even with little time to prep.

REDEMPTIVE OPPONENTS

The schedule is full of opponents that have historically been bad matchups for the Cowboys. The Packers visit Dallas in Week 4, where the Packers are 6-0 since the opening of Jerry’s World. The Cowboys play in Denver in Week 8, and the team hasn’t beaten the Broncos since 1995. For context, the quarterbacks back in 1995 were Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and John Elway, and the Cowboys won their most recent Super Bowl that year. The Cardinals visit AT&T Stadium the following week, where Kyler Murray is undefeated in the stadium and the Cowboys have only beaten the Cardinals once since 2008.

SCHOTTY NEEDS A BREAK

First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer will need grace navigating the 2025 season. It’s his first season as a head coach in his NFL career, he is missing two stars on defense to begin the season (Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown), and the Cowboys have the fifth-toughest schedule with opponents combining for a .557 winning percentage. If Schottenheimer doesn’t make a playoff team in 2025 out of the 7-10 Cowboys team from 2024 with this schedule, give Schottenheimer a second chance in 2026.

The Cowboys’ schedule isn’t ideal by any means. After a disappointing 7-10 season following three consecutive 12-win seasons, the franchise needed a change, and Brian Schottenheimer is that change. Take the season one week at a time, because anything can happen. Teams can fall off drastically or rise to prominence out of the blue. The ebbs and flows of 2025 will truly be the determining factor on how the season goes for the Dallas Cowboys.