Harbaugh’s Giants to Open 2026 Season vs. Cowboys on ‘Sunday Night Football.

The NFL has locked in a marquee Week 1 matchup to open the 2026 season, with the New York Giants set to host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13 in the league’s first “Sunday Night Football” broadcast of the year. The game will also mark the primetime debut of head coach John Harbaugh in New York, as he begins his tenure leading the Giants following his hiring in January after 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup renews one of the NFL’s most familiar early-season pairings. Since 2012, the NFC East rivals have met in Week 1 eight times, with Dallas winning six of the last seven season openers against New York. Overall, the Giants have struggled in the rivalry recently, posting a 1-9 record against the Cowboys over the last five seasons. New York enters a new era under Harbaugh after finishing last in the NFC East in consecutive seasons and making just one playoff appearance since 2016. The organization is hoping the veteran coach can help change the trajectory of a roster now centered around second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Cowboys, meanwhile, continue to be one of the league’s most prominent national draws as “America’s Team,” and the Week 1 spotlight adds another high-profile stage for quarterback Dak Prescott. If both quarterbacks are healthy, the game would represent the first meaningful head-to-head meeting between Dart and Prescott, after both previously started a season finale in which neither team was in playoff contention. The opener could also showcase a pair of former Ohio State standouts making their NFL debuts: Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, selected fifth overall, and Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, taken shortly after at No. 11. The league’s full 2026 schedule is expected to be released later this week, but the Giants-Cowboys clash already stands out as one of the headline matchups of opening weekend.