Why Do the Lions Play on Thanksgiving? The Story and 2026 Games
Quick answer: The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving because owner George A. Richards scheduled a holiday game against the Chicago Bears in 1934, the team’s first season in Detroit, to win over local fans. It sold out, was broadcast nationally on NBC radio, and became an annual fixture. The Dallas Cowboys joined in 1966, when general manager Tex Schramm volunteered to host a game to raise the team’s profile. In 2026, the Lions host the Bears again on Thursday 26 November, the 86th time Detroit has played on the holiday.
For millions of American families, Thanksgiving has a fixed running order: parade in the morning, Lions at lunchtime, Cowboys in the afternoon, turkey somewhere in between. It can seem odd that the same two teams appear every year, whether they are contenders or not. The reason is a mix of 1930s marketing, a bold bet by a young franchise in Texas, and a television tradition that the NFL has been happy to protect.
Here is how the tradition started, why it has survived, and what is on the schedule for Thanksgiving 2026.
Why Do the Detroit Lions Always Play on Thanksgiving?
In 1934, a Detroit radio executive named George A. “Dick” Richards bought the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans and moved them to Detroit, renaming them the Lions. The city was a baseball town, and Richards needed a way to get attention. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he chose a Thanksgiving Day home game against the reigning champions, the Chicago Bears.
It worked spectacularly. All 26,000 tickets at the University of Detroit Stadium sold out two weeks in advance, and the Hall of Fame estimates another 25,000 people would have come if there had been seats. Richards also used his radio connections to set up a 94-station NBC network to carry the game across the country. The Bears won 19-16, but the Lions had found their stage.
Apart from a gap from 1939 to 1944, around the Second World War, Detroit has hosted a game every Thanksgiving since. NFL.com describes it as an annual fixture since 1945. Football on Thanksgiving actually predates the Lions: NFL teams played on the holiday from the league’s first season in 1920. Detroit simply turned it into a permanent tradition.
Why Do the Dallas Cowboys Play on Thanksgiving?
By the 1960s the NFL wanted a second holiday game, but few owners were keen. A late-afternoon kick-off on Thanksgiving could not guarantee a big crowd or TV audience while families sat down to dinner.
Tex Schramm, the Cowboys’ president and general manager, saw it differently. As NFL.com recounts, he believed national exposure would help a young team that had been struggling under coach Tom Landry. Dallas first hosted on Thanksgiving in 1966, drew big crowds, and became a staple of the holiday. The exposure helped build the national following behind the “America’s Team” nickname. The Cowboys have missed the holiday only twice since then, in 1975 and 1977, when the St. Louis Cardinals hosted instead.
Since 1978, the Lions have had the early slot and the Cowboys the late-afternoon slot, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When Did the Third Thanksgiving Game Start?
The NFL added a third game, in prime time, in 2006. Unlike the first two, it rotates between teams and is often used to showcase an attractive match-up. The league has since added a Black Friday game too, and for 2026 it has also scheduled a Wednesday night game on Thanksgiving Eve, turning the holiday into a five-game week.
What Is the NFL Thanksgiving Schedule for 2026?
The NFL announced the following games when it released the 2026 schedule in May. Times are Eastern.
| Date | Game | Kick-off (ET) | TV / stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 25 November | Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams | 8pm | Netflix |
| Thursday 26 November | Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions | 1pm (per NFL.com) | CBS, Paramount+, NFL+ |
| Thursday 26 November | Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys | 4:30pm | Fox |
| Thursday 26 November | Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | 8:20pm | NBC, Peacock |
| Friday 27 November | Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers | 3pm | Prime Video |
Some outlets list slightly different kick-off times for the Lions game, so check the official NFL schedule or your TV guide closer to the day.
How Have the Lions Done on Thanksgiving?
Not brilliantly, which is part of the charm. NFL.com puts Detroit’s all-time Thanksgiving record at 38-46-2 going into 2026. The Bears lead the holiday series between the two teams 11-9, and only the Lions and the Green Bay Packers have met more often on Thanksgiving. Detroit’s 23-20 win over Chicago in 2024 was its first Thanksgiving victory since 2016, and it had big consequences: the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus the next day. Ben Johnson, who had been the Lions’ offensive coordinator, now coaches Chicago, which adds an edge to this year’s meeting.
Should the Lions and Cowboys Still Get Thanksgiving Every Year?
It is a perennial debate. Critics say other teams should get the guaranteed national audience and that a home game on a short week is an advantage for the hosts. Supporters say the tradition is part of the holiday’s identity, and that Detroit and Dallas have earned their slots by hosting faithfully for decades, through good seasons and bad. The NFL has addressed some of the criticism by rotating the opponents and the prime-time game rather than changing the hosts. With five games now packed into Thanksgiving week, the tradition looks safe for the foreseeable future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have the Lions ever not played on Thanksgiving?
Yes, from 1939 to 1944. Otherwise, Detroit has hosted every year since its first holiday game in 1934.
Do the Lions and Cowboys play on Christmas too?
No. Thanksgiving is their tradition. Christmas games are scheduled separately and rotate between teams.
Who did the Lions play in the first Thanksgiving game?
The Chicago Bears, on 29 November 1934. The Bears won 19-16, with Bronko Nagurski throwing the winning touchdown pass to Bill Hewitt.
What time is the Lions game on Thanksgiving 2026?
The NFL lists Bears at Lions on Thursday 26 November 2026 at 1pm ET on CBS. Always check closer to the date, as listings can change.
Why are the Cowboys called America’s Team?
The nickname comes from NFL Films in the late 1970s, reflecting the Cowboys’ national fan base. Their annual Thanksgiving TV slot, which began in 1966, helped build that following.
The Bottom Line
The Lions play on Thanksgiving because a 1930s owner needed a gimmick and found a winner, and the Cowboys play because a 1960s executive spotted the value of national television before most of his rivals. Ninety-two years after that first game, it is one of the most durable traditions in American sport. If you are new to the game, our guides to how the NFL playoffs work and Patrick Mahomes’ career are a good place to start.
Related Reading
- How the NFL Playoffs Work: Seeding, Tiebreakers and the Road to Super Bowl LXI
- Patrick Mahomes: Career Profile, Records and Stats
- How the College Football Playoff Works
- Thanksgiving Travel 2026: Busiest and Best Days to Fly and Drive
Featured image: DetroitLionsRunningPlay-2007, by Dave Hogg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped, colour-graded and combined with MediaPavilion branding.
Sources
- Pro Football Hall of Fame — Thanksgiving and the NFL.
- NFL.com — Why do we play on Thanksgiving Day?.
- NFL.com — 2026 NFL schedule release: Lions to host Bears to kick off Thanksgiving Day slate (13 May 2026).
- Sporting News — NFL Thanksgiving football schedule 2026.
