One of the reasons the Cowboys can hope to have a better defense this season is the fact that linebacker DeMarvion Overshown isn’t rehabbing an injury right now.
After Overshown missed his rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL, he returned to give the Cowboys an athletic and productive player in the middle of their defense. He had 90 tackles, five sacks, an interception return for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 13 games before suffering another knee injury. The recovery from multiple torn ligaments kept him out for most of last season, but he emerged from a five-game return without any more issues to deal with this offseason.
On Thursday, Overshown said that he believes the healthy offseason has him primed for big things in the fall.
“Biggest blessing I can ask for,” Overshown said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “I feel like everybody knows when I’m healthy, I’m one of the best linebackers in the league. That’s not to toot my own horn, but the film and that stats speaks for itself when I’m on the field. Being healthy is the number one way to stay on the field and be able to do what I do. “The fact that I get to go through this whole offseason as a healthy man, and coming into training camp healthy, I feel like people ain’t seen my best yet. So, I know it’s going to be one of my best years.”
The Cowboys’ issues on defense last season went beyond missing Overshown, which was illustrated by the numerous moves they made to address that side of the ball over the last few months. Getting Overshown back to where he was a couple of years ago would still be a big step forward for the unit and things appear to be on the right track on that front.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott advised wide receiver George Pickens to “bet on yourself” when Pickens received the franchise tag earlier this year and Pickens took that advice.
Pickens signed the tag despite the Cowboys saying they have no plans to work out a long-term contract extension with the wideout this offseason. Pickens’s decision has not led him to take part in the voluntary portions of the team’s offseason program, but that isn’t an issue for Prescott when it come to Pickens’s preparation for the season.
While at the team’s charity home run derby Thursday, Prescott said that he and Pickens have done “as much as needed” while working together on their own and that he has no doubt Pickens will hit the ground running once he is with the team.
“I’ve just showed George my support,” Prescott said, via the team’s website. “The guy that I know George is, obviously he signed the tag, so when he has to be there and ready to play, he’s going to be there. He’s a hell of a talent. We’ve thrown this offseason, so I’m comfortable with where he’s at and I’m excited for when he can get in the building and get rolling.”
The only mandatory work of the Cowboys’ offseason is at their minicamp in mid-June. Pickens may not be around until that starts, but that won’t be an issue for his quarterback.
The NFL did the Chiefs a favor, giving them an early off week as Patrick Mahomes works his way back.
The Chiefs and Panthers have the earliest possible bye, getting an off week in Week 5.
The Chiefs quarterback tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in a Dec. 14 game against the Chargers and underwent surgery the following day. There is no timeline for his return, although Mahomes reportedly is ahead of schedule in his rehab and is shooting for Week 1.
If he’s not ready, Mahomes would miss only four games in six weeks. Those four games are the Broncos, Colts, Dolphins and Raiders, so the start to the season is not nearly as hard as it could have been.
The Cowboys and Cardinals have the latest possible off week, with their bye coming in Week 14.
Here are the other bye weeks:
Week 6 — Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, Vikings.
Week 7 — Bills, Jaguars, Chargers, Commanders.
Week 8 — Giants, Texans, Saints, 49ers.
Week 9 — Steelers, Titans.
Week 10 — Bears, Broncos, Eagles, Bucs.
Week 11 — Seahawks, Rams, Falcons, Patriots, Browns, Packers.
Week 13 — Ravens, Jets, Colts, Raiders.
The first Monday night matchup of 2026, between the Chiefs and Broncos, was announced earlier this week.
Now we know the complete MNF schedule for the coming season.
Unlike the last few years, there are no longer simultaneous Monday night doubleheaders on ABC and ESPN.
As the network has been heavily advertising recently, Super Bowl LXI will be the first broadcast on ESPN in February from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
All games are set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday night.
Week 1: Broncos at Chiefs
Week 2: Giants at Rams
Week 3: Eagles at Bears
Week 4: Falcons at Saints
Week 5: Bills at Rams
Week 6: Commanders at 49ers
Week 7: Cowboys at Eagles
Week 8: Bears at Seahawks
Week 9: Bills at Vikings
Week 10: Chargers at Ravens
Week 11: Bengals at Commanders
Week 12: Panthers at Buccaneers
Week 13: Cowboys at Seahawks
Week 14: Steelers at Jaguars
Week 15: Patriots at Chiefs
Week 16: Giants at Lions
Week 17: Texans at Packers
We don’t know if Fernando Mendoza will be starting at quarterback for the Raiders in Week 1 of the regular season, but we do know who the Raiders will be playing in the first overall pick’s potential debut.
The NFL’s schedule reveal on Thursday night shows that the Raiders will host the Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 13. The game will be on Fox.
Mendoza will have to get the nod over Kirk Cousins in order to start for the Raiders. Offseason addition Malik Willis is expected to make his first appearance for the Dolphins. Both teams will definitely have head coaches making their offseason debut as Las Vegas hired Klint Kubiak in February and Miami hired Jeff Hafley in January.
Sunday will also feature a pair of divisional games in the late afternoon window. The Packers will visit the Vikings while the Commanders will be in Philadelphia to renew their acquaintance with the Eagles. The NFC North matchup will be on CBS while the NFC East clash will be broadcast by Fox.
The other late game on Sunday afternoon will see the Cardinals visiting the Chargers on CBS. Arizona could have Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew or rookie Carson Beck at quarterback for that contest.
The 1 p.m. ET games will send the Bills to Houston for a date with the Texans while the Browns go on the road against the Jaguars. The Colts will host the Ravens, the Saints will visit the Lions, the Buccaneers will travel to Cincinnati for Dexter Lawrence’s first game as a Bengal, and the Steelers will kick off the Mike McCarthy era — with or without Aaron Rodgers — at home against the Falcons.
Previous reports revealed that the Jets will be in Tennessee and that the Bears will head to Charlotte to face the Panthers. The Jets-Titans game will be on CBS along with the Bills-Texans, Ravens-Colts and Browns-Jaguars games. All the other 1 p.m. games will be on Fox.
The entire Week 1 slate will kick off on Wednesday, September 9 with a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl rematch in Seattle on NBC. Thursday will bring a Netflix game between the 49ers and Rams in the NFL’s first game in Melbourne and Sunday night will find the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium to meet the Giants on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Those games were all announced ahead of Thursday’s full schedule reveal, which was also the case for the ESPN Monday night game between the Broncos and Chiefs in Kansas City.
