The NFL's Thanksgiving football tradition continues to grow. What started with the Detroit Lions hosting in 1934 expanded when the Dallas Cowboys joined in 1966. A third game was added in 2006, followed by a Black Friday game in 2023. Now, the league adds Thanksgiving Eve in 2026, bringing the total to five holiday games.
Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 25)
The Packers will travel to warmer weather for a holiday-week showdown against another playoff contender. Both Green Bay and the Rams made the 2025 playoffs, with the Packers losing to the Bears in the Wild Card Round and the Rams falling to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Key Injury Note: Packers star edge rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in December and may miss time to begin the season, but is expected to return by this game.
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26)
1 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+ — Lions Host Bears
The Lions host their NFC North rival as Chicago comes to town. The Bears are coming off a breakthrough 11-6 season that included their first division crown since 2018 and first playoff win since 2010. Meanwhile, Detroit's streak of division titles ended at two, and at 9-8, the Lions missed the playoffs entirely.
Under first-year coach Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams put forward a strong second season with six fourth-quarter comebacks. The Bears also led the NFL with 33 turnovers forced, while running back D'Andre Swift topped 1,000 yards.
Despite going in different directions, Detroit swept Chicago and has won seven of the last eight meetings. Jahmyr Gibbs produced over 1,800 yards from scrimmage for the second straight year and made his third Pro Bowl, while Amon-Ra St. Brown exceeded 1,400 receiving yards.
Detroit has lost eight of its last nine Thanksgiving games, with the lone win coming against the Bears in 2024.
Afternoon Game — Eagles at Cowboys
The Eagles visit the Cowboys for the second part of the Thanksgiving triple-header. Dallas has won four straight Thanksgiving games but lost its last game against Philadelphia on Turkey Day, back in 2014.
The Cowboys boasted one of the NFL's best offenses in 2025, with Dak Prescott throwing for 30 touchdowns and over 4,500 yards. Both George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb exceeded 1,000 receiving yards, and Javonte Williams went for over 1,200 yards on the ground. Still, Dallas finished 7-9-1 due to a porous defense.
Dallas dedicated its offseason to improving defense, bringing in Christian Parker (most recently the Eagles' secondary coach) as defensive coordinator and drafting former Ohio State star Caleb Downs 11th overall.
The Eagles became the first team in over 20 years to repeat as NFC East champions, but the offense was inconsistent and Philadelphia lost in the Wild Card Round. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and a stellar offensive line return.
Notable Rookie: A.J. Brown won't join them, so first-round rookie Makai Lemon will have big shoes to fill immediately. With Jalen Carter and Jonathan Greenard up front and Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the secondary, Philadelphia figures to have another strong defense.
Nightcap — Chiefs at Bills
One of the NFL's best non-divisional rivalries serves as the Thanksgiving nightcap as the Chiefs visit the Bills, who will open a new stadium this year.
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen represent the premier quarterback showdown of this generation. Allen is 5-1 against Mahomes in the regular season, but Mahomes owns a perfect 4-0 record against Allen in the playoffs.
Both teams are coming off difficult 2025 seasons. Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in December, raising questions about his availability for the 2026 campaign.