The 2025 NFL season is going to start with a bang for the Dallas Cowboys.
The 2025 season feels like a critical turning point for the Cowboys. The franchise has flirted with greatness over the past few years, making playoff appearances but falling short of reaching the NFC Championship Game, let alone the Super Bowl. After decades without a Lombardi Trophy, owner Jerry Jones has made it clear: it’s Super Bowl or bust.
Over the offseason, the Cowboys made aggressive moves to position themselves as contenders. Questions surrounded the futures of key players, the coaching staff, and the team’s overall direction. In the end, Dallas doubled down on its core roster and coaching philosophy, keeping Mike McCarthy at the helm and extending several cornerstone players.
Now, with one of the NFL’s most balanced rosters and a schedule loaded with prime-time matchups, the Cowboys are ready to explode out of the gate.
The NFL wasted no time in setting the stage for drama. The Cowboys will open the 2025 season in a nationally televised, prime-time matchup against the San Francisco 49ers—arguably their fiercest playoff rival of the past decade. This marks the fourth consecutive year these two franchises will meet, and it’s quickly become one of the NFL’s most intense modern rivalries.
The Niners eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs in 2021, 2022, and again in 2023. Each defeat stung more than the last, fueling a bitter rivalry that echoes the legendary showdowns of the 1990s. This time, though, Dallas has the chance to strike early, set the tone for the season, and exact some long-awaited revenge.
Expect a physical, emotional battle filled with tension. The Cowboys’ defense, led by Micah Parsons, will be eager to get after 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, while Dak Prescott and the offense look to outduel one of the league’s most ferocious defensive units.
If the Cowboys are going to start the season with a bang, it will be thanks in large part to their offensive weapons. Prescott returns with more to prove than ever. Despite strong statistical seasons, critics continue to question his ability to win the big games. 2025 may be his most pivotal season yet, and he appears more focused and determined than ever before.
The wide receiver trio of CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and a healthy Michael Gallup gives the Cowboys the firepower to stretch defenses vertically. Lamb, coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, is playing at an elite level. His chemistry with Prescott has reached new heights, and the duo is expected to lead one of the league’s most dynamic passing attacks.
On the ground, Dallas hopes to rejuvenate its rushing attack. With Tony Pollard departing in free agency, the team brought in a new backfield combination, including rookie sensation Jayden Thomas out of Texas A&M and veteran addition Alexander Mattison. The revamped running game aims to bring balance and open up play-action opportunities for Prescott.
Kellen Moore’s return as offensive coordinator—after a one-year stint with the Chargers—adds another layer of excitement. His creative play-calling and aggressive style mesh well with Dallas’s personnel and offer the potential for an offensive explosion early in the season.
While the offense garners attention, it’s the Cowboys’ defense that may ultimately dictate their success in 2025. Dan Quinn may have moved on to a head coaching role with the Seattle Seahawks, but the Cowboys’ defensive identity remains intact under new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., a longtime assistant and disciple of Quinn’s system.
At the heart of the defense is Micah Parsons, the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who continues to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. His combination of speed, power, and versatility makes him the cornerstone of a front seven that also features DeMarcus Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, and Sam Williams.
The secondary is headlined by Trevon Diggs, back from a torn ACL, and 2023 breakout corner DaRon Bland. With Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson patrolling the back end, the Cowboys boast one of the league’s deepest and most opportunistic defensive units. Their ability to generate turnovers and pressure will be key in early matchups.
Starting the season against physical offenses like San Francisco and Philadelphia will test the Cowboys’ mettle, but this defense has the talent and depth to pass that test with flying colors.
The Cowboys’ first month of the season is a gauntlet—but that’s exactly how they want it. After facing the 49ers, Dallas will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, setting the stage for early NFC East supremacy. These division games have playoff implications baked in, and both franchises have rosters built to contend.
Week 3 brings a high-profile matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes and company visiting AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys haven’t beaten the Chiefs in over a decade, and this early-season clash will serve as a measuring stick for Dallas’s Super Bowl aspirations.
In Week 4, the Cowboys travel to take on the Green Bay Packers and rising star Jordan Love. It’s a tough early slate, but one that could vault Dallas into the league’s upper echelon—or send them scrambling.
This intensity-packed opening month will not only test the team’s preparation and endurance, but also create opportunities to build chemistry, confidence, and momentum heading into the heart of the season.
