NFL adds 17th game to schedule. So which extra team will the Dallas Cowboys play now?
The Dallas Cowboys will play a ninth road game against the New England Patriots in 2021 as part of the NFL’s move to a 17-game regular season.
NFL owners voted Tuesday to approve the change during the league’s annual meetings, which is happening virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new change also limits the preseason to three games from four, although the Cowboys will still play four preseason games this year because they’re scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 5.
Dallas Cowboys 2021 opponents:
Home: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders
Away: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“This is a monumental moment in NFL history,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “The CBA with the players and the recently completed media agreements provide the foundation for us to enhance the quality of the NFL experience for our fans. And one of the benefits of each team playing 17 regular-season games is the ability for us to continue to grow our game around the world.”
Each NFL team will now play an opponent from the opposite conference based on the division standings from the previous season. The divisional matchups between the conferences will rotate. The AFC team will host the extra game in 2021. The NFC teams will host the extra game in 2022. If a team is hosting the extra regular-season game, it will host just one of three preseason games that year. The team will host two preseason games if its extra regular-season game is on the road.
Also as part of the new agreement, all 32 teams will play at least one international game every eight years.
The 2021 season begins Sept. 9 and ends Jan. 9, 2022. Super Bowl LVI is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The 2022 Pro Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 6 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The NFL increased its regular-season schedule to 16 games from 14 games in 1978.
The NFL had to negotiate at least one new media contract to make the move to expand to 17 games per the March 2020 collective bargaining agreement with the player’s union. The league announced its new media deal on March 18.
The league hopes the expanded schedule in 2021 season and drop in salary cap total will help partially create new revenue.
This story was originally published March 30, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
