New York Giants Schedule Release: NFL announces Giants opener, and it’s a special matchup for John Harbaugh’s debut

May 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks during a press conference at rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Giants Schedule Release: NFL announces Giants opener, and it’s a special matchup for John Harbaugh’s debut

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated May 11, 2026 8:42 AM ET

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John Harbaugh’s tenure with the Giants will start with a predictable Dallas Cowboys matchup on Week 1’s “Sunday Night Football.”

New head coach John Harbaugh already knows what his debut for the New York Giants will look like. On Monday morning, the NFL announced that the Giants will open their regular season with a rivalry home game against the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s a Week 1 “Sunday Night Football” appearance, and it’s going to be at MetLife Stadium. The game will start at 8:20 p.m. (ET) on NBC.

Week 1. Primetime. Home. pic.twitter.com/Ev7q4poK5V
— New York Giants (@Giants) May 11, 2026

What that means

The Giants-Cowboys game has different meanings. First, it takes both NFC East rivals from contention to play the Seattle Seahawks in the regular season opener on Wednesday, Sep. 9.

It’s also the eighth time in the last 15 years that Giants and Cowboys face off in Week 1 — that’s been a frequent theme for the fans of both teams.

Giants schedule

The league will announce its full regular season schedule on Thursday, May 14. It’s just a matter of getting to know when the games will happen, though, because the opponents are already set.

The Giants will have an extra home game, just like every other NFC team. The real advantage is that New York won’t host any international games, so the team will actually play nine games at MetLife Stadium.

It’s still possible that they play overseas, though. Based on the designated home teams for international matchups, it’s realistic for the Giants to face the Detroit Lions in Germany or the Washington Commanders in the United Kingdom. But we’ll only be sure about it whenever the NFL releases the schedule — or at least parts of it.