The NFL schedule release is one of the most anticipated days of the offseason, and for Washington Commanders fans, the 2026 slate is shaping up to be a blockbuster. With player movement largely settled and rookie minicamps in the rearview mirror, all 32 teams are turning their attention to OTAs and training camp. But the league itself has been hard at work finalizing the schedule, which drops Thursday, May 14, at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

We already know the Commanders will face the Indianapolis Colts in London during Week 4, but the rest of the matchups remain a mystery. CBS Sports recently shared one schedule wish for each team, and for Washington, the ask is both ambitious and entirely realistic: a home game against the Dallas Cowboys on December 24 or 25.

Think about it. The NFL loves putting the Cowboys in marquee slots, and a Christmas Day showdown in the nation's capital would be a gift for Commanders fans everywhere. In 2025, these two teams met on Thursday, December 25, with Dallas winning 30-23—but that was a game Josh Johnson started at quarterback. Fast forward to 2026, and Jayden Daniels is expected to be under center, adding a new layer of excitement to a potential rematch.

Washington's 2026 opponents are already set: home games against the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Seahawks, Rams, Texans, Colts, Bengals, and Falcons, plus road trips to Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Arizona, and Tennessee. With one of the toughest schedules in the league, a holiday home game would be a welcome break—and a chance for the Commanders to replicate their 2024 magic, when they reached the NFC title game for the first time since 1991.

Whether it's Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, a win over the Cowboys under the lights would be the perfect present for a fan base hungry for more. Here's hoping the schedule makers deliver.