There’s no easing into the 2026 season for the Dallas Cowboys. The team is scheduled for six primetime matchups this season, including a brutal stretch of three straight night games from Week 5 through Week 7. Safe to say, there won’t be much rest for Dak Prescott and co. this year. Yet, the QB1 expressed his willingness to embrace this challenge.

“I’m excited; it’s my first time playing an international game going into my 11th season,” Dak Prescott said, per Jon Machota. “I would have thought we would have had one by now, but it’s all good; obviously, it’s right to travel, like you said, the travel will be tough. But as part of growing this game, we’ll manage; we’ll figure out the best way, obviously, and take care of our bodies. We’ve been a part of three games of 11 days right every year, pretty much with our Thanksgiving Day game, so nothing new, just having to do it earlier.”

The Cowboys are no strangers to difficult scheduling stretches, especially around Thanksgiving, when they often cram four games into 18 days. But this year’s challenge feels a little different. Dallas will travel to Brazil in Week 3 for a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and with the trip coming so early in the season, there’s no bye week to help them recover afterward. But interestingly, this marks Prescott’s first international appearance. The Cowboys’ last game abroad was in 2014 against the Jaguars in London.

Top Stories

NFL

$250M Businessman Threatens All NFL Teams With “Legal Action” Over Mike Vrabel–Dianna Russini Jokes

12 hrs ago

NFL

Backlash Mounts Against Dolphins Rookie Le’Veon Moss for Retiring Just 4 Days After Signing Contract in Miami

1 day ago

NFL

Boston Attorney Suggests Mike Vrabel May Have to Pay Millions to Dianna Russini to Secure Non-Disclosure Agreement

1 day ago

NFL

NFL Allows Teams to Mock Mike Vrabel Over Dianna Russini Controversy With Schedule Release Videos: Report

15 hrs ago

NFL

NFL Makes Immediate Change After Florida Attorney Subpoenas Roger Goodell & NFL leaders Over Diversity Hiring Rules

1 day ago

“Sleeping on the plane has never been too difficult for me,” Prescott said on Thursday during the Cowboys’ annual Reliant Home Run Derby, held at the home stadium of the Frisco RoughRiders. “Hopefully it doesn’t start that week.”

Where Do the Cowboys Still Lack Elite Talent?

Let Tony do the scouting, you just make the pick.

Pick your positions. Get Tony’s top 5:

QB

RB

FB

WR

TE

C

CB

DE

DT

G

ILB

OLB

P

PK

S

T

View Tony’s Picks

Things don’t get any easier from there, as the Cowboys hit the road to face the Houston Texans in Week 4 before quickly turning around for a Thursday night home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Regardless, the Cowboys still have enough time to buckle up for their trip to Brazil and the demanding stretch of games that will follow. According to Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the coaching staff already have a detailed plan in place to help the team handle the long and unusual travel schedule.

Smith said the biggest focus will be making sure players properly take care of their bodies throughout the trip. And, naturally, getting enough sleep. Fortunately for Smith, this year’s turnaround should be a little easier to manage than in previous seasons.

“I got a bigger seat. I graduated,” he said, referring to himself as a veteran as he heads into his fifth season. “I’m extremely happy with those developments.”

With the schedule emerging as a challenging one for the Cowboys, it wouldn’t stop fans and the media from setting high expectations for America’s Team, especially with the offseason they have had. Hence, for Prescott, the goal is simple, as he addressed his expectations for the upcoming NFL season.

Dak Prescott addresses expectations for 2026 season

As a ten-year veteran of the Dallas Cowboys, many would believe the time is running out for Dak Prescott. But looking at his performance in the 2025 season, one could say everything is coming together at the perfect time for Prescott and Co. So, when asked about the expectations for the new league year, Cowboys QB1 had a clear message.

“Yeah, my expectation right now is just to grow every day, grow; this brotherhood obviously built off of what we did last year,” Prescott said, per Jon Machota. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of changes on the defense, so allow those guys to create their identity, allow them to support each other, and allow them to get to know each other and create their culture and who they want to be, and at the same time, keep the team culture and make sure we’re connecting across the ball and are super excited.”

The Dallas QB1 started in all 17 games, recording 404-of-600 passes for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns. He also had 53 rushes for 177 yards and two more scores. On the back of these numbers, Dak Prescott led the league in passing attempts, completions, and passing yards. His 600 passing attempts are the most of his career, while this is the fourth time he’s passed for 4,000 or more yards.

As Prescott continued to perform at this elite level, the Cowboys emerged as one of the best offenses across the league, ranking second in total yards per game (391.9) and seventh in scoring, making them a highly balanced unit with top-10 rankings in both passing and rushing. But the defense struggled to hold its own and recorded one of the worst seasons in Cowboys history.

Whether the Cowboys can finally end their 30-year Super Bowl drought and re-establish themselves as an NFL powerhouse, only time will tell, but with these comments from Dak Prescott, the Dallas faithful can be slightly more optimistic about their chances in the 2026 season.