The NFL has taken steps to take hold of any and every significant date in the sporting calendar in recent years. Still, no regular-season day has proved as consequential to the league's stature as Thanksgiving Day.
It is a day marked by family and full bellies. For the better part of 80 years, it has also been highlighted by football. Three games span the eventful day, offering a complimentary experience to a turkey-and-mac-and-cheese-laden holiday. For those seeking a respite from awkward familial conversations, the NFL is there, joined by its usual cast of characters -- namely the Lions and the Cowboys.
The 2026 iteration of the contest is no exception. Detroit and Dallas are the headliners, as are a handful of other notable franchises, including the Eagles. There's a new wrinkle in the schedule this time around, with the night before Thanksgiving Day also slated to take hold of some of that all-important spotlight.
With that, here's what you need to know about the NFL's slate of fixtures for Thanksgiving Day 2026.
MORE:NFL's complete international slate in 2026
Thanksgiving football schedule 2026
Per usual, the NFL's Thanksgiving slate will feature a pair of Turkey Day regulars in the Lions and the Cowboys. Both sides will host their opponents, as has been the case for time immemorial.
This season, Detroit will take on Chicago in the first Thanksgiving Day game. Dallas, meanwhile, will joust with the Eagles. A third primetime matchup will air on NBC, with Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes headlining a Bills vs. Chiefs AFC matchup. For the first time in recent history, the Thanksgiving matches will be preceded by a contest on Wednesday night, too, as the Packers and Rams will go head-to-head.
Here's the full Thanksgiving schedule from Thanksgiving Eve to Black Friday, including kickoff times and TV channels for all three games.
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream
Packers at Rams 8 p.m. — Netflix
Thursday, Nov. 26
Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream
Bears at Lions 12:30 p.m. CBS fubo, Paramount+
Eagles at Cowboys 4:30 p.m. Fox fubo
Chiefs at Bills 8:20 p.m. NBC fubo, Peacock
Friday, Nov. 27
Matchup Time (ET) TV channel Live stream
Broncos at Steelers 3 p.m. — Prime
Packers at Rams
Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: N/A
Live stream: Netflix
The first game of the Thanksgiving Day slate will actually take place on Thanksgiving Eve. The matchup represents just the fourth time the league has hosted a game on Wednesday since 1948.
The Packers and Rams will meet in the holiday fixture, locking horns in a contest that pits two of the league's best hurlers -- Jordan Love and Matthew Stafford -- against each other. Green Bay is one of the most prolific participants in Thanksgiving Day matches, competing in 38 thus far, the joint-third-most in the league.
By comparison, Los Angeles' Thanksgiving Day appearances have been few and far between. The Rams enter the 2026 season with just five Turkey Day showcases under their belt.
Bears at Lions
Kickoff time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Channel:
Live stream: fubo
The Lions will return to their typical national television post on Thanksgiving. They'll host fellow NFC North heavyweights the Bears in their second Thanksgiving Day tilt in the three seasons.
Detroit claimed a momentous win over Chicago during Turkey Day 2024, downing the Bears after Caleb Williams and Matt Eberflus conspired to lose the game in satirical fashion. With Ben Johnson at the helm, Chicago will look for a different result in 2026.
Eagles at Cowboys
Kickoff time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: Fox
Live stream: fubo
The Cowboys host the Eagles in the second of the Turkey Day fixtures. Dallas claimed a momentous win over the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day last year, downing Kansas City, 31-28.
The Cowboys last faced Philadelphia on Thanksgiving in 2014. The Eagles swept Dallas 33-10 in that contest, fueled by LeSean McCoy's 159-yard showing. All told, the divisional rivals have met two times on Thanksgiving Day; Philadelphia is 2-0 in the all-time series, having also vanquished the Cowboys
Chiefs at Bills
Kickoff time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
Live stream: fubo
Headlining the nightcap on Thanksgiving will be a battle of AFC powerhouses and another edition of the Allen vs. Mahomes rivalry, as the Bills are set to host the Chiefs. The final game of the Thanksgiving Day slate will air at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
The 2026 Thanksgiving game marks Buffalo's first since 2022, which was a thrilling 28-25 win against the then-up-and-coming Lions. Meanwhile, the Chiefs find themselves on the Thanksgiving slate for the second year in a row, coming off a loss in 2025 to the Cowboys in Dallas.
Broncos at Steelers
Kickoff time: 3 p.m.
Channel: Prime
Live stream: fubo
Rounding out the whole of the holiday slate is a Black Friday matchup between the Broncos and the Steelers. For the fourth consecutive year, the NFL will use the day after Thanksgiving to hold an afternoon game. It's the first Black Friday matchup for both Denver and Pittsburgh.
Which NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving?
The NFL's Thanksgiving Day fixtures field more viewership than most sporting events. One reason why? They're adorned by two notable franchises — the Lions and the Cowboys.
Detroit was fundamental to the tradition of Turkey Day games, first hosting the spectacle in 1934. 92 years later, things have remained fairly consistent for the NFC North franchise: the Lions have participated in 85 matches on the cornucopia-laden platform, 80 of which have occurred consecutively. If not for the outbreak of World War II, those totals could have been greater.
Thanksgiving might not have been part of the NFL calendar if not for former Lions owner George A. Richards' quick thinking. The Thanksgiving Day game tradition spawned from his desire to outshine the Motor City's then-greatest franchise, the Tigers, then spearheaded by Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane and Charlie Gehringer. The NFL is more than grateful for the former radio executive's contributions.
Detroit is 38-46-2 on Thanksgiving. Dan Campbell's team has lost eight of its last nine Thanksgiving Day matchups, including its last one, falling 31-24 to the Packers.
Dallas, meanwhile, joined the Turkey Day cavalcade in 1966. Much like their Motown counterparts, the Cowboys, too, wanted a taste of the national spotlight — then-general manager Tex Schramm hoped the scheduling would make Dallas stand out.
He was swiftly proven correct; Dallas' first Thanksgiving Day matchup drew more than 80,000 fans.
The Cowboys have since participated in 59 straight Cornucopia Cups, save for the 1975 and 1977 seasons, when the St. Louis Cardinals were given their spot.
Dallas holds a 35-22-1 all-time record in Thanksgiving matchups. Its most recent result was positive — a 31-28 come-from-behind victory over the Chiefs in 2025.
MORE: Why do the Cowboys, Lions always play on Thanksgiving?
Which NFL teams have never played on Thanksgiving?
There's but one side that has failed to compete on Thanksgiving Day: the Jaguars.
Jacksonville has only been an NFL franchise for 32 seasons, so it figures to claim a Turkey Day matchup sooner or later. However, that might be dependent on the organization's ability to field a winning roster, something that's been easier said than done in the River City as of late.
Two other NFL teams — the Buccaneers, and Panthers — have appeared on Thanksgiving once. Of the league's 32 clubs, just 10 have played on the holiday fewer than five times
Here is the leaderboard for Thanksgiving game appearances entering the 2026 season:
Team Total
Detroit Lions 86
Dallas Cowboys 59
Chicago Bears 39
Green Bay Packers 38
Arizona Cardinals 23
New York Giants 17
Washington Commanders 13
Denver Broncos 11
Kansas City Chiefs 11
Buffalo Bills 11
Minnesota Vikings 9
New York Jets 8
Pittsburgh Steelers 8
Las Vegas Raiders 8
Miami Dolphins 8
Philadelphia Eagles 8
San Francisco 49ers 7
Tennessee Titans 7
Seattle Seahawks 6
New England Patriots 6
Los Angeles Chargers 5
Los Angeles Rams 5
Atlanta Falcons 4
Indianapolis Colts 4
New Orleans Saints 4
Cleveland Browns 3
Baltimore Ravens 3
Cincinnati Bengals 2
Houston Texans 2
Carolina Panthers 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1
Jacksonville Jaguars 0