NFL referee Shawn Smith during the Arizona Cardinals game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cowboys vs Eagles referee assignments for Week 1 of 2025 season

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 7:35 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys open the 2025 NFL regular season on Thursday, September 4, against the division rival, Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

It's a tough task ahead for the Cowboys as they kick off the Brian Schottenheimer era, and all eyes will be on the primetime showdown to see what the team brings to the table against the defending champs.

While everyone tunes in to see the NFC East clash between the Cowboys and Eagles, fans will be hoping that the referees remain in the background.

For Thursday's regular season opener, it will be Shawn Smith and his crew getting the call.

Smith is in his eighth season as an NFL referee.

Before becoming a head ref, Smith served three years as an umpire. Last season, he called 17 games, with his final game coming in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, where the Eagles defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 28-22, en route to winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Throughout the season, Smith's crew called an average of 12,59 penalties per game for 97.65 penalty yards, slightly below the league average of 12.80 penalties and 103.67 penalty yards per game.

Home teams held a 58.82 winning percentage with Smith's crews calling the game, with just 45.79 percent of penalties being called on the home team. His crews favored the home team more than the league average, which was 49.21 percent of penalties called on the home teams, who had a 54.74 winning percentage.

We'll have to see how it all plays out on Thursday night.

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Eagles is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, with live streaming available on Peacock.