Jerry Jones, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Cowboys, just dropped a bombshell about future NFL scheduling. Ahead of a really rare matchup between the Cowboys and Houston Texans, Jones suggested that in-state rivalry games could become a much bigger deal, and sooner than we think. Sunday’s game is only the eighth time these two Texas teams have faced off since Houston joined the league way back in 2002. That’s just wild, right?
The League’s Talking “My Town Against Your Town”
Jones opened up about this on his Friday radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, hinting that the NFL is actually considering scheduling more geographic rivalry games between teams from different conferences. “You can add that in the mix, and I’m not saying it’s not in the mix,” Jones said, noting that “other things come up and you have a different reason for the scheduling.” He gave props to the current rotation, saying it’s “the best as far as fair, complete competition year-in, year-out, around the entire league.” But he also made it clear this is “certainly something that I would look at.”
It’s not just about Dallas versus Houston, either. Jones wants to see this idea play out across the whole league. He pointed to the Thursday night game between Cleveland and Pittsburgh as a prime example, even though they’re already in the same division. For Jones, it’s about those “kinds of proximities, those kinds of ‘my town against your town, and who’s the best town?’” He thinks that’s a fundamental part of football, that whole “my school against your school” mentality. It’s a vibe that’s hard to get rolling anywhere but in the United States, he says.
Could This Mean an 18-Game Season?
If Jones gets his wish, think of the matchups! We could be seeing the New York Jets and New York Giants face off way more often, or the Los Angeles Rams battling the Los Angeles Chargers for city bragging rights. Imagine the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders going at it, or the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles squaring off more regularly. Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars could become a fierce annual showdown.
But here’s the kicker, the big question hanging over all this: if the NFL goes all-in on these rivalry games, are they just going to slot them into the current 17-game schedule? Or, and this is where it gets interesting, could this be the push that finally expands the regular season to 18 games? That would be a massive change for the league, and for us, the fans, it means even more football to chew on. We’ll be watching to see if Jones’ vision for more “my town against your town” action becomes the new normal, and what that ultimately means for the future of the NFL season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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