The National Football League has been hosting a Thanksgiving Day game every year since 1934, with a handful of exceptions. It is one of the most popular Thanksgiving traditions in U.S. homes. So, it isn’t surprising that the Thanksgiving game between the Lions and the Bears in 2024 drew in 37.5 million viewers. This number, along with the 141 million total viewers for the day, inspired us to look into the origins of American football on Thanksgiving.

Humble Beginnings

The NFL first launched in 1920, but it wasn’t until 1934 that the league hosted the first Thanksgiving game. This game was first played because the Portsmouth Spartans, today’s Lions, moved to Detroit. The owner wanted to draw in viewers and cement Detroit as a football city, so he organized a Thanksgiving game.

The Lions played their first game against the Chicago Bears, who were the defending champions. However, in 1966, the Dallas Cowboys established itself as the other Thanksgiving NFL team. The GM at that time, Tex Schramm, saw Thanksgiving games as a way to boost his team’s viewership and support. These origins of American football on Thanksgiving can help you understand the tradition better.

Changes Throughout History

The NFL has seen a lot of changes in its 105 years of existence. Teams have moved cities, dissolved, and sprung into the league. The Detroit Spartans morphed into the Detroit Lions, which is the name we all associate with Thanksgiving now. The only times that the Lions missed their Thanksgiving games were during World War II.

On the other hand, the Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving every year, except for 1977. That was the year that the league put the St. Louis Cardinals on the schedule to help the team’s popularity. Eventually, the Cardinals moved to Tempe, Arizona, giving them the Arizona Cardinals name.

Football on Thanksgiving in the Modern Era

The origins of American football on Thanksgiving have brought us to where we are now. On Thanksgiving 2025, you will have the chance to catch three humdingers of games. Packers at Lions for a battle of the titans and Chiefs at Cowboys for the current versus the past dynasty. You can also watch the AFC thriller between the Bengals and the Ravens, with Joe Burrow back at QB.

The Packers vs Lions game starts at 1 PM ET, while Bengals vs Ravens starts at 8:20 PM ET. So, you’ll have plenty of football to enjoy while you dig into that turkey, stuffing, and yams. Gather the friends and family, enjoy the food, and cheer on your favorite team.