It’s only May, and newly acquired 49ers defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa already is looking forward to facing his former team.
This offseason, San Francisco acquired Odighizuwa from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick.
The 49ers and the Cowboys are set to face off in Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season, and it’s safe to say Odighizuwa has that game circled on his calendar.
“Speaking to the rivalry, this is a game that for a long time, it’s the game that you got a picture on a dart board, and you’re throwing the knife at the picture,” Odighizuwa said on the latest episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.”
“Now I just take down the picture, and I put up the other picture, and I’m on the other side of it, but the energy is exactly the same.”
The 49ers are scheduled to visit AT&T Stadium on Nov. 15 for the first time since the NFC Wild Card round of the 2022 NFL playoffs, as Odighizuwa will return to a place he called home for five seasons.
With the Cowboys, the 27-year-old recorded 17 sacks, 115 solo tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 81 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles in 84 total games. Odighizuwa also is one of only seven players with 23 or more quarterback hits in each of the last two years.
In addition to his ability to disrupt the middle of the field, Odighizuwa also brings in a veteran presence to a 49ers defensive line that had the lowest number of sacks during the 2025 NFL regular season.
San Francisco and Dallas are set to renew their heated rivalry that dates back to their playoff clashes in the 1980s. The 49ers have a 21-19-1 all-time record against the Cowboys, including the playoffs.
With Dak Prescott now on the other side of the field, expect Odighizuwa to have some extra motivation rushing the Cowboys quarterback come Week 10 of the 2026 season.