With the NFL releasing the 2025 regular season schedule on Wednesday, this year's Thanksgiving slate has officially been announced. The NFL will continue holding three games on Thanksgiving, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys each hosting a game, as is tradition.
The Lions began playing on Thanksgiving in 1934 and have played on Thanksgiving every year since except from 1939-1944, because of World War II.
The Cowboys joined the Thanksgiving tradition in 1966, six years after their founding. The Cowboys have played every year on the holiday since except for in 1975 and 1977.
Which Teams Are Playing on Thanksgiving?
The Lions are slated to take on the Green Bay Packers during Thanksgiving this year. The longtime division rivals have previously faced off on Thanksgiving 22 times, and even played against each other on Thanksgiving in 13 straight seasons from 1951-1963. Though the Packers have the edge over the Lions in the history of the rivalry, the Lions have gone 12-9-1 vs. the Packers on Thanksgiving. Detroit has also won six of their last seven games against Green Bay, though their one loss to the Packers in that span was on Thanksgiving in 2023.
The Cowboys continue their annual Thanksgiving game with an untraditional matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have not played on Thanksgiving since 2006. This will mark just the second career matchup between Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who previously faced off in 2021, a 19-9 Chiefs win. This game will also be the first time that Mahomes plays on Thanksgiving and in Dallas, against the team he rooted for growing up.
The Bengals and Ravens will take the primetime slot on Thanksgiving, marking the second divisional matchup of the day. This game will spotlight two MVP-caliber quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Bengals and Ravens will be the perfect conclusion to Thanksgiving. Their matchups have been thrilling recently, and four of their last five contests have ended as one-score games.
What Is Each Team's Record on Thanksgiving?
Though the Lions have been a part of Thanksgiving for 90 years, it hasn't served them well in the win column. Detroit is 38-45-2 in Thanksgiving games. The Packers have been even worse, going 15-20-1 on the holiday.
The Cowboys have fared much better, boasting a 34-22-1 on Thanksgiving. Their opponent, the Chiefs, are an even 5-5 in Thanksgiving matchups.
The Bengals and Ravens have played a combined three games on Thanksgiving. The Ravens are 2-0, while the Bengals are 0-1.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Thanksgiving Schedule 2025: Who Is Playing on Thanksgiving?.
