ESPN halts 'Get Up' to reveal a major NFL schedule update, with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants set to tip off the 2026 season as they clash for supremacy in the NFC East
13:23 ET, 11 May 2026Updated 13:24 ET, 11 May 2026
ESPN's Dan Graziano reacted on Get Up to the NFL announcing its first game of the season
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ESPN's Dan Graziano reacted on Get Up to the NFL announcing its first game of the season(Image: X: @GetUpESPN)
ESPN brought its morning show "Get Up" to a halt on Monday to reveal a key piece of the NFL's 2026 Week 1 slate.
On Monday, Dan Graziano was on the show to speak on a myriad of topics regarding the league. As he and the panel were discussing the league, it was announced that the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants would kick off the season on Sept. 13 on NBC.
Once the news of the Cowboys and Giants matchup was confirmed, Graziano told his fellow panelists why he felt particularly elated to see the two storied franchises go head to head, even if it was on another network. The update comes after Tom Brady aimed a dig at Kevin Hart.
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"NBC loves that game historically and for good reason — I think it's exciting," he said during "Get Up."
Graziano also noted that, heading into the matchup, the Cowboys are primed for a more impressive week than the Giants because Dallas will not have to worry about injuries or the other changes New York has undergone in the offseason.
"I think the Cowboys are probably in a better position to make a statement Week 1 because I just don't know at this point, and I don't think the Giants do either, whether you know Malik Nabers will be back and at full strength for that game," the ESPN NFL insider continued.
Joe Milton III #10 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball against Devin Singletary #26 of the New York Giants during the game at MetLife Stadium on January 04, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New York Giants won 34-17
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The New York Giants will take on the Dallas Cowboys to start the 2026 NFL season(Image: Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
"Cam Skattebo ... he's coming off of a major injury, and of course you have the new coach there and a program that I think we all have high hopes for but may need some time to get up to speed.
"So again, no way to know between now and then who else gets hurt, but right now the way it looks, the Cowboys, I think, would be set up to be the team that would, we'd be sitting there on Monday morning going, 'Oh, might they have something here.'"
Of note, the upcoming September matchup will be the 13th time the two teams have met at the start of the season, with their most recent clash in 2023. Dallas handily defeated New York, 40-0, with Dak Prescott throwing for 143 yards while Daniel Jones was sacked seven times.
Overall, the Cowboys have won 11 of the last 12 opening season matchups between the two sides.
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For the Cowboys, the matchup will pit Brian Schottenheimer against John Harbaugh, who took over for Brian Daboll after last season. Schottenheimer has a 1-1 record against New York in his brief coaching tenure in Dallas.
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Meanwhile, for NBC, that matchup could provide a massive viewership spike in just the first week of the season. In 2022, Dallas' 28-20 win over the Giants on Thanksgiving is the second-most-watched game in league regular-season history.
Overall, the Cowboys and Giants have clashed 128 times since 1960, with Dallas leading the all-time series 78-48-2. Dallas has won 16 of its last 18 games against New York.
The NFL's teams will announce their full schedules on Thursday.