Jerry Jones’ unusual take on Cowboys’ overseas trip is hard to ignore

The NFL is moving into many new countries every new season. More and more teams fly across the ocean to play their games. This helps the league grow but it also creates a lot of work for the players. 

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Coaches often worry about how much the human body can handle during these trips. Long flights and time zone changes can leave athletes feeling very tired. Many think these players need a lot of rest to perform well. 

The Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a very different and surprising view on this topic.

The Cowboys will face the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on September 27. This trip to Brazil is a long one for both teams. The flight takes more than 10 hours each way. 

In previous years, the NFL gave teams extra days to recover after such a long journey. Usually, these games happened on a Friday to give the players more time to rest. 

However, the rules are changing for the 2026 season. Both teams will play their next game just one week later, with no extra time off. They both had the chance to take a break but they said no because it was too early in the year.

Jerry Jones spoke about this difficult schedule at a league meeting in Orlando. He does not believe that the long travel will hurt his players at all. He thinks people are worrying too much about the physical stress of the trip. 

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Jones says the players are young and in great shape. He told reporters, “The wear and tear is a lot less than a night out on the town”. This comment shows he thinks the trip is actually quite easy for the athletes.

Cowboys, Ravens scheduled to play Week 3 in Rio de Janeiro without extra rest on either end. 10+ hour flight each way. Is Jerry Jones concerned about the competitive disadvantage?

«The wear and tear,» Jerry told me, «is a lot less than a night out on the town.»

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 19, 2026

He believes that his players would not be sleeping if they stayed home anyway. He thinks they have plenty of energy for extra activities. He said, “Stop, stop. It isn’t like they [would be] home in bed resting up”. 

To him, a flight is safer than normal daily life. He even claimed that “It can be a lot more damaging just walking down the block”. 

The league plans to hold 10 international games by 2027. They are even looking at playing games in Asia and Japan in the future. The NFL wants every team to play at least one game outside of the United States every year.

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