Much has been made about the Dallas Cowboys drawing four Thursday night games in 2025 — the first time in NFL history a team has played that many Thursday games in a single regular season. And while it’s a headline-worthy stat, the reality isn’t nearly as dramatic as it sounds.
Let’s walk through it logically:
• First Thursday game (Week 1): Cowboys at Eagles — this is the first game of the entire NFL season. Meaning: no short week disadvantage at all. Everyone’s fresh. Everyone’s rested. No travel disruption from a Sunday game.
• Second Thursday game (Week 13): Cowboys host the Chiefs on Thanksgiving. Yes, this one is a short week after playing the Eagles in Week 12. But the Cowboys stay at home both weeks — no travel, no airplane legs, no hotel stays. If you have to play on short rest, at least you’re doing it at home.
• Third Thursday game (Week 14): Cowboys play again the following Thursday night — but again, it’s a home game. Facing the Detroit Lions— their third game in 12 days but that isn't unfamiliar. This game also means a mini-bye before playing the Vikings.
• Fourth Thursday game (Week 17): Cowboys travel to Washington to face the Commanders. It’s technically a short week... but again, division rivals mean familiarity, and familiarity matters on short weeks. This game also means another mini-bye before the regular season finale against the New York Giants.
When you stack it up, here’s the real bottom line:
• Only two true short weeks (Week 13 vs. Chiefs, Week 17 vs. Commanders).
• Two home games for the toughest turnaround weeks.
• Familiar opponents when it matters most.
• No short-week disadvantage opening night vs. Philadelphia.
Yes, it’s a scheduling oddity. Yes, it will test depth and endurance. But the Cowboys have been here before — they played three Thursday games last season, and managed just fine.
This isn’t a death sentence. It’s just another obstacle — one that, frankly, could’ve been much worse.
Context always matters.