FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will get their first in-game look at a retooled roster Saturday when they open the preseason against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The game begins a three-week preseason schedule that will also send Dallas to Arizona on Aug. 22 before the Cowboys host the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 28.
Although wins and losses take a back seat to player evaluations during the preseason, Saturday’s game will provide an early test for a team trying to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2025 season.
Dallas finished 7-9-1 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive year.
The offense returns most of its key players, including quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and running back Javonte Williams.
The greater concern is a defense that finished last in the NFL after allowing a franchise-record 511 points.
The Cowboys responded with a sweeping defensive overhaul, hiring Christian Parker as defensive coordinator and acquiring Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.
Dallas also signed veteran safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year contract and traded a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for linebacker Dee Winters.
The defensive rebuild continued during the NFL draft as Dallas moved up to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick and added UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.
Five of the Cowboys’ seven draft picks were defensive players.
The team’s latest major move came Monday when it agreed to a three-year, $105.9 million extension with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
The agreement keeps Williams under contract through the 2030 season and makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackles.
Williams joined Dallas in a midseason trade with the New York Jets in 2025 and is expected to anchor a defensive front that also features Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark and rookie Malachi Lawrence.
The Cowboys also maintained continuity on offense.
Pickens signed his one-year, $27.3 million franchise tender after recording 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season.
Dallas also signed Williams to a three-year, $24 million extension after he rushed for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025.
Brian Schottenheimer will enter his second season as head coach, trying to end the Cowboys two-year playoff drought.
The preseason will offer Cowboy fans the first indication of how quickly the new defensive pieces are coming together.
Downs, Lawrence and the Cowboys’ other young defenders will have opportunities to earn roles, while several players are competing for roster spots and backup positions.
Running back Jaydon Blue is among the players seeking a larger role behind Williams.
Dallas will face Seattle twice this year, returning to Lumen Field for a regular-season game Dec. 7.
The regular season begins Sept. 13 with a Sunday night road game against NFC East rivals the New York Giants.
Dallas has six scheduled prime-time games and will face eight teams that reached the playoffs last season. The Cowboys will also play the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro.
Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 Regular-Season Schedule
- Sept. 13: at New York Giants, 7:20 p.m.
- Sept. 20: vs. Washington Commanders, 3:25 p.m.
- Sept. 27: vs. Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, 3:25 p.m.
- Oct. 4: at Houston Texans, noon
- Oct. 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:15 p.m.
- Oct. 18: at Green Bay Packers, 7:20 p.m.
- Oct. 26: at Philadelphia Eagles, 7:15 p.m.
- Nov. 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals, noon
- Nov. 8: at Indianapolis Colts, noon
- Nov. 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers, 3:25 p.m.
- Nov. 22: vs. Tennessee Titans, noon
- Nov. 26: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 3:25 p.m.
- Dec. 7: at Seattle Seahawks, 7:15 p.m.
- Week 14: Bye
- Dec. 20: at Los Angeles Rams, 3:25 p.m.
- Dec. 27: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:20 p.m.
- Jan. 3: vs. New York Giants, noon
- Week 18: at Washington Commanders, date and time to be announced
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