ARLINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Cowboys-Commanders rivalry has never been defined by championship stakes. It is defined by proximity, resentment, and divisional math - two franchises that share a history of missed expectations trading wins and losses across the NFC East for decades while the rest of the conference periodically laps them. In 2026, they meet in Week 2 at AT&T Stadium, and for the first time in a while, both organizations look genuinely uncertain about what they have.

The Cowboys finished the 2025 season at 7-9-1, their second consecutive losing campaign and enough to make significant offseason adjustments unavoidable. The most visible one was signing Quinnen Williams to a three-year extension worth $105.9 million, with $101 mill...