The NFL has become synonymous with Thanksgiving, as families around the country gather to watch the league’s games while enjoying the holiday. While NFL games have been played on Thanksgiving since 1920, it truly grew into a national spectacle in 1934.
How does the NFL determine which teams play on Thanksgiving each season? Here’s a look at which teams normally play on the holiday and why.
How Does the NFL Decide Which Teams Play on Thanksgiving?
The NFL’s tradition of playing games on Thanksgiving has been in place for nearly a century. However, the league’s holiday spectacle reached a new level thanks to Detroit Lions owner George A. Richards and his national media ties in 1934.
Richards wanted to expand the reach of his franchise and used the team’s Thanksgiving Day game as a way to entice new fans to pay attention to the Lions. Since 1934, Detroit has remained a fixture on the league’s Thanksgiving slate, traditionally hosting a game on the holiday.
Similar to the Lions, the Dallas Cowboys became an annual fixture on Thanksgiving in 1966. While many teams were skeptical about playing on the holiday each year, former Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm saw it as an opportunity to bring more national attention to Dallas.
Therefore, both the Lions and Cowboys remain fixtures on the NFL’s Thanksgiving schedule each season. Detroit and Dallas continue to host matchups, while the NFL rotates their opponents and the teams involved in the league’s third game on the holiday each year.
Which NFL Team Has Played the Most on Thanksgiving?
Thanks to Detroit’s first owner, Richards, the Lions have remained a holiday fixture for the NFL since 1934. As a result, the Lions have played the most NFL games on Thanksgiving with a total of 84.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have hosted a home game on Thanksgiving for nearly every season since 1966. Yet, with having played 56 games the holiday, there is a significant gap between them and Detroit.
Given the historical rivalries in the NFC North, it’s no surprise that two division rivals of the Lions are listed next on this holiday list. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have each played 37 games on Thanksgiving.
The franchise with the fifth-most games played on Thanksgiving could come as a surprise. The Arizona Cardinals have played 23 games on Thanksgiving, primarily thanks to the franchise’s time as the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960-1987.
The NFL actually toyed with the idea of the Cardinals replacing the Cowboys as an annual fixture on Thanksgiving in 1975 and 1977. Expectations didn’t live up to it in St. Louis, however, and Dallas retained its hold of the prestigious holiday spot.
Thirty-one of the NFL’s 32 teams have played at least one game on Thanksgiving. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only remaining team that has yet to play on the holiday.