The NFL offseason lurches along in fits and starts, and now that rookie minicamps are over, the next item on the agenda is the 2026 NFL schedule release, when fans can start planning their trips.
So when do the Dallas Cowboys find out their slate for next season, which includes their Sept. 27 “home” game in Rio de Janeiro? It’s either next week or the week after, but unlike last year at this point, the exact date is still up in the air.
What is also up in the air is what jersey new draft pick Caleb Downs will wear, as he’s already ditched his No. 18 for No. 13, with hints that nothing is settled. But Downs is settling into Dallas, and how that came about got a little light shed on it with an ESPN special.
When does Dallas Cowboys 2026 schedule drop?
The prevailing assumption has been, and still is, that the 2026 NFL schedule will be released in the May 12-14 range, with Wednesday, May 13, as the most likely day. The 2025 schedule was released exactly 52 weeks before that on a Wednesday.
However, there could be a snag that pushes everything back one week.
NFL VP of broadcast planning Mike North appeared on the “It’s Always Game Day in Buffalo” podcast and said there could be a delay.
“I don’t think it’s coming out in June, but that second week in May has been our target the last few years, but I don’t know that it’s impossible to think about that third week in May,” North said.
What’s up is that the league is trying to negotiate a five-game deal with a broadcast partner (YouTube is rumored to be in on this) and working out the details could push the schedule release back.
”These five games that are out there as a package that are being negotiated right now — love to know when, where those games are going to be played so we can schedule them accordingly,” North said on the podcast. “It doesn’t get finalized until the Commissioner of the National Football League says it’s finalized.
“None of us know the date yet because we don’t know when we’re going to walk into the (Roger Goodell’s) office and present him one. If we walk in there on May 11th or 12th and he’s not happy with where we are, he’ll send us back downstairs, and we’ll keep grinding. And if it slides to the 18th, 19th, or 20th, the world will keep spinning. I’m sure at some point he’s going to say, ‘All right you morons, I’m not giving you any more time. We got to go.’ I hope it doesn’t get to that point.”
Last year, the NFL announced the schedule release date (Wednesday, May 14, 2025) during the draft. That obviously did not happen this year and those five games being negotiated are why.
Caleb Downs jersey
Even though Caleb Downs was in No. 18 during Cowboys rookie minicamp, the Cowboys weren’t actually moving any of his jerseys yet (Downs was No. 1 in rookie presales) because the specific number is subject to change.
Case in point: Downs is now set to wear No. 13 in organized team activities (OTSs) when h reports for that on June 1.
Per DallasCowboys.com, the extent of Downs’ commenting on his jersey was “We’re gonna see what happens,” Downs said. “That’s the only thing I’m going to say about that.”
Downs wore No. 2 in high school and at Ohio State, but that number has been taken by free agent cornerback Kobie Durant. As to how trickle-down works, with Downs moving to 13, QB Sam Howell is moving from 13 to 16, and undrafted free agent receiver Jordan Hudson is moving from 16 to 18.
Caleb Downs trade
Details have also emerged about the Cowboys’ selection of Downs on draft night. Time was running out on Miami’s first-round pick at No. 11 when Dallas, picking 12th, swooped in and sent them two fifth-round picks for the right to move up a spot and take Downs.
ESPN ran a one-out special, “The Pick Is In” and featured footage from the Cowboys’ war room. They initially offered one fifth-round pick to move up one spot, which Miami rejected. Worried that someone else would come in with an offer, Dallas offered a second fifth-round pick; Miami accepted, and details of the trade were communicated with 10 seconds left on the clock.
Other tidbits: Dallas tried to trade with Cleveland for No. 6, but the Browns got what they considered a better offer from Kansas City and traded with them. Dallas also correctly predicted Philadelphia would call them about the 20th pick, which Dallas eventually traded to their divisional rivals for the No. 23 pick and two fourth-rounders.
Donovan Ezeiruaku
A year ago, Dallas drafted edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round with the idea that with Micah Parsons on the other end, Ezeiruaku would be freed up. That didn’t happen and Ezeiruaku ended up having a disappointing season with two sacks.
Fox Sports’ Greg Auman now has a ranking of second-year players he thinks will make a jump and Ezeiruaku was fourth on that list.
Auman writes: “With Micah Parsons traded away, Donovan Ezeiruaku got to play a ton of snaps as a rookie, mustering only two sacks but nine tackles for loss. With Rashan Gary on board, the Dallas Cowboys have upgraded their overall pass rush from 2025, and Ezeiruaku will benefit from that — he nearly tripled his sack totals from his freshman to sophomore year at Boston College.
“A young, new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker will improve what was the worst scoring defense in the NFL, and Ezeiruaku could be a central part of that.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Dallas Cowboys rumors. When does the Cowboys 2026 schedule drop?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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