If you’re waking up on this Wednesday, January 14, 2026, wondering when does Dallas Cowboys play today, I have some tough news to break. There is no game. In fact, if you're looking for Dak Prescott or the Star on your television tonight, you’re going to be looking for a long time.
The Cowboys are officially done for the year.
It’s a weird feeling for fans in North Texas. Usually, January is filled with high-stakes stress and playoff brackets, but for the 2025-2026 season, the story ended much earlier than anyone hoped. Dallas finished their regular season with a 7-9-1 record. That "one" in the tie column? Yeah, that weird 40-40 deadlock against the Packers back in September really set the tone for a season that just never quite found its rhythm.
When Does Dallas Cowboys Play Today and Why the Season Ended
The simple answer is that the Dallas Cowboys are not playing today because they failed to qualify for the NFL postseason. Their final game of the season took place on January 4, 2026, at MetLife Stadium. It wasn't exactly a glorious exit. They dropped that Week 18 matchup to the New York Giants with a final score of 34-17.
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Missing the playoffs in 2026 feels particularly heavy. This marks the second straight year Jerry Jones' squad has been home for the holidays. While teams like the Rams, Bears, and Texans are prepping for the Divisional Round this coming weekend, the Cowboys' facility in Frisco is already shifting toward "offseason mode."
Honestly, it’s a bit of a mess right now.
The Reality of the 2026 Offseason
Since the Cowboys aren't taking the field today, the "game" has moved to the front office. There are massive questions looming over the roster. Reports indicate that the team has 22 pending free agents, and 16 of those are unrestricted. That is a huge chunk of the locker room that might not be back in a Cowboys uniform when 2026 training camp rolls around.
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- Jerry Jones under pressure: Fans are calling for a total reset.
- Coaching rumors: Brian Schottenheimer’s seat is hotter than a Texas July.
- The Draft: Because they finished 7-9-1, Dallas is looking at a mid-tier draft pick rather than the top-five selection some of the league's true bottom-feeders get.
If you’re still craving football today, you should know that the NFL is currently in the lull between Wild Card Weekend and the Divisional Round. The Wild Card games wrapped up on Monday night with the Houston Texans routing the Steelers 30-6. So, while you can't watch the Cowboys, the "other" Texas team is actually making some serious noise.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Schedule
Even though we don't have a kickoff time for today, the 2026 opponents are already set. We don't know the exact dates yet—the NFL usually drops the full calendar in May—but we know who is coming to AT&T Stadium.
Dallas will face their usual NFC East rivals, of course. They also have home games slated against the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Road trips will include visits to Green Bay, Philadelphia, and a "Battle of Texas" against the Texans in Houston.
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Watching the playoffs from the couch is never fun for a Cowboys fan. But for now, that’s the reality. Instead of checking for a kickoff time, most fans are probably checking the latest mock drafts or wondering if Jerry is finally going to make a "splash" move in free agency this March.
What to do now
Since there is no game to watch today, the best move for a Cowboys fan is to stay updated on the roster moves. The NFL roster "freeze" for playoff teams happened today, January 14, at 4:00 p.m. ET, but since Dallas is out, they can already start looking at free agents from the CFL or signing players to "futures" contracts. Keep an eye on the official team transaction wire over the next few weeks for those small, depth-building moves that usually happen while the rest of the league is focused on the Super Bowl.