The 2025 NFL season left both the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys with a bitter taste. The Ravens limped to an 8-9 record, finishing second in the AFC North, asLamar Jackson played just 13 games, throwing for 2,549 yards and 21 touchdowns before a back injury derailed his campaign.
Down in the Cowboys,Dak Prescott put up career-best numbers, completing 404-of-600 passes for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns, but they finished 7-9-1, due to flop defense, missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
Both quarterbacks enter the 2026 offseason with something to prove. Jackson is adjusting to new head coach Jesse Minter as the Ravens try to find a new identity after John Harbaugh’s departure.
In Dallas, Prescott and second-year coach Brian Schottenheimer are under pressure to show the Cowboys are actual contenders, not just a high-stat team that misses the playoffs. With both teams resetting, the NFL just scheduled their Week 3 meeting in Rio de Janeiro and it is allegedly going to be historic.
NFL confirms Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott as Rio de Janeiro opponents
The Ravens will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, two leaguesources told The Baltimore Banner. The Cowboys will serve as the designated home team for the first-ever NFL game played in Rio.
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Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is interviewed after defeating the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Dallas will be the home team for this first-ever NFL game in Rio, which kicks off a five-year deal to host at least three games at the 78,000-seat Olympic venue.
The NFL is expected to select the #Ravens as the opponent to face the #Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Week 3 as the likely spot, per @giana_jade. https://t.co/jJhVvqy0gO pic.twitter.com/APYYDp9zE6
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 1, 2026
For Jackson, the trip will be quite personal. Just to recap, after a 2024 win over the Denver Broncos, he mentioned his surprise at having a Brazilian fanbase and expressed a goal to visit the country.
And the Cowboys haven’t played abroad since facing Jacksonville in London in 2014. So it will be the first time Prescott will play internationally.
However, history favors Baltimore to win the game, which leads the all-time series 6-1. Their most recent meeting in 2024 saw the Ravens narrowly hold off a Cowboys comeback to win 28-25.
But there is a concern regarding the players’ stress. A Week 3 flight to Brazil takes about 10 hours, forcing both teams to manage a massive travel shift and a different atmosphere just as the season gets moving. It’s a significant hurdle for two teams trying to find their footing early in 2026.
Fans are excited to see Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott abroad
Fans were quick to drop their excitement following the announcement.
One X useropenedsimply with “Pack Your Bags Boys!”
Anotherwrote, “Omfg Lamar is going to get the [upset stomach] eating something [wild].”
A thirdclaimed, “That would be huge! 🌎 Week 3 should be one for the books.”
The fourth onepenned, “Getting the belt in Rio crazy work man.”
A random X userremarked, “What a great match up!”
The Baltimore-Dallas game is one of nine international matchups scheduled across seven countries in 2026—a new NFL record. With over 36 million fans in Brazil and neither team based there, the game will be a true neutral-site contest.
With two franchise quarterbacks reset and the full weight of Rio de Janeiro on their backs in September, Jackson and Prescott are set to deliver one of the most compelling early-season matchups in recent NFL memory.