Eagles set to host Cowboys in NFL regular season opener on Thursday, Sept. 4

Last season, the Eagles took care of business against the Cowboys and then some. Philadelphia swept the season series against Dallas, defeating their rival by a combined score of 75-13 in their two matchups.

It’s been awhile since the Cowboys have gone into Philadelphia and defeated the Eagles, as well. The last time that happened was in 2022, when Dallas put the hurt on their rival to the tune of a 51-26 win.

This season’s matchup will certainly have some extra juice, as it’ll start the 2025 NFL season, and feature the return of Dak Prescott to the Cowboys, as well as the first game for the franchise with Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach. The Eagles will have some tremendous vibes as well, hanging their banner on Sept. 4 after winning the Super Bowl in February.

More on the 2025 NFL Schedule Release

Moreover, each NFL team typically announces its schedule itself, with some teams revealing their weekly dates in video form which are typically over the top and provide a bit of comedic relief. There’s likely to be no shortage of the same in 2025. 

Overall, there will be 272 regular season games played during the 2025-26 NFL season. All 32 teams will play 17 games across an 18-week schedule with each matchup following a certain formula that the NFL has created based on division matchups. The formula essentially decides which teams play who while a rotating schedule ensures that each team plays the other 31 at least one time during four years.

Each spring, six NFL executives will come together to determine this. Those executives are as follows: Executive Vice President of Media Distribution Hans Schroeder, Vice President of Broadcasting Michael North, Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Howard Katz, Senior Director of Broadcasting Blake Jones, Director of Broadcasting Charlotte Carey, Vice President of Broadcasting Onnie Bose, and Broadcasting Senior Coordinator Lucy Popko.

Fan engagement, league broadcasting partners and more must be included in these decisions. The NFL schedule does have flex options to help in these situations. These executives must also consider non-NFL-related events that take place in or around NFL stadiums during game days. For instance, these executives have to ensure the New York Jets and New York Giants do not play inside MetLife Stadium at the same time or on the same day.

As the NFL offseason progresses, September can’t come soon enough. Fans will now await May 14 to see when, where and who their favorite teams will play in full during the 2025-26 regular season.

— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.