The 2025–26 NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 4th. For the past few years, the Chiefs have held the honor of opening the season, but this time it’s the NFC’s turn. The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys in a divisional clash that already has plenty of buzz, despite the two teams being miles apart in both recent success and competitiveness.
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So why all the hype? Beyond being the opener, this game gives Jalen Hurts a shot at chasing down some personal milestones. The Alabama alum enters the season with 14,667 passing yards, 1,248 completions, 85 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions across 77 games at a 64.4% completion rate. As per Pro Football Reference, he needs just 333 yards to reach the 15,000 mark, though with his career average of 190.5 yards per game, that milestone might slip past Week 1.
Still, the bigger picture is in play. Hurts is just 1,005 yards shy of moving into 5th place on the Eagles’ all-time passing list, ahead of Norm Snead. With 2,144 yards, he’d pass Carson Wentz (16,811) for 4th by season’s end, a very achievable goal for the Super Bowl MVP.
For the Cowboys, this matchup is less about records and more about pride. Beating the reigning Super Bowl champions in their house, with championship banners flying, would be a massive early-season statement for Jerry Jones’ team. Revenge also lingers in the air. The last time Dallas traveled to the Linc, they were humiliated 41–7, and that was without Hurts even playing.
In that game, Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee combined for three touchdown passes, with Pickett adding a rushing score. DeVonta Smith torched the Cowboys for 120 yards and two touchdowns on just six catches. Meanwhile, Cooper Rush threw a costly interception that C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned 69 yards to the house. Dallas managed one score in the first quarter and then disappeared offensively.
That late-season loss didn’t matter in the standings; the Eagles were already locked into the playoffs, while the Cowboys were out of contention, but it still stung. And now, Dallas has a chance to erase that memory in the most high-profile setting possible: opening night against their fiercest rival, under the bright lights, with Philadelphia celebrating its Super Bowl crown.
