The Dallas Cowboys are set to make the longest in-season trip in NFL history without receiving a bye the following week when they travel to Brazil for their Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The flight from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro covers about 5,220 miles, putting the Cowboys’ round trip at nearly 10,500 miles.
Baltimore’s flight to Rio will cover 4,781 miles, and the Ravens also are scheduled to play the next week without an additional break. The Cowboys will visit the Texans in Week 4, while Baltimore will host the Titans.
The game is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. local time in Rio, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Time. The teams may not leave Brazil until after midnight, and the flight back to Dallas takes more than 10 hours. The Cowboys could arrive home near noon on Monday.
Previous NFL teams that traveled comparable distances during the season received extended rest before their next games. The Rams flew 5,456 miles to London last season and had a bye afterward.
The Rams and San Francisco 49ers each traveled more than 7,800 miles to Australia for a Week 1 matchup and had 10 days between games, with the Rams getting 11 days before their Monday night contest.
The NFL’s two earlier games in Brazil were also held during Week 1, giving those teams additional recovery time before Week 2. Before the Cowboys’ trip, the record for the longest journey without a following bye belonged to the Broncos, who traveled 4,670 miles to London last season.
