What NFL Teams Play on Thanksgiving?

It’s that time of year again! Time to start thinking about what NFL teams play on Thanksgiving. Here’s a look at the schedule for this year’s games.

Introduction

Giving thanks is a time-honored tradition in America, and one of the most popular ways to do it is by gathering around the television to watch some football. For many fans, it’s not Thanksgiving without the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys playing on Turkey Day. But which other NFL teams have made regular appearances on Thanksgiving over the years?

Here’s a look at all the NFL teams that have played on Thanksgiving, organized by how many times they’ve appeared in a Thanksgiving game.

Detroit Lions – 74 times
The Lions have played on Thanksgiving more than any other team in NFL history, with 74 appearances. The team has hosted a game on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, with the exception of 1939-1944 (due to World War II) and 2016 (due to scheduling conflicts). The Lions have a 42-34-2 record on Thanksgiving.

Dallas Cowboys – 53 times
The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving almost as often as the Lions, with 53 appearances. Dallas started hosting annual Thanksgiving games in 1966, and has done so every year since 1979 (with the exception of 1975 and 1977). The Cowboys have a 32-18-1 record on Thanksgiving.

Green Bay Packers – 51 times
The Packers have played on Thanksgiving 51 times, but haven’t done so since 1923. Green Bay has a 20-27-4 record on Thanksgiving.

Miami Dolphins – 26 times
The Dolphins are one of several teams that have only appeared in a handful of Thanksgiving games. Miami has only played on Turkey Day 26 times, but has done so fairly recently – in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Dolphins have an 8-18 record on Thanksgiving.

Detroit Lions

Since 1934, the Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving Day every year except 1939-1944 (due to World War II). The Lions have played more Thanksgiving games than any other team in the NFL and have compiled a record of 34-39-2 in those games.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day more times than any other team in the NFL, a total of 38 times as of the end of the 2019 season. The Cowboys also hold the record for the most consecutive appearances on Turkey Day, playing on Thanksgiving every year from 1966 to 1978.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have played on Thanksgiving Day more times than any other team in the NFL. The Packers have a long-standing tradition of playing on the holiday dating back to their days in the old American Football League. The team has played on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1919, with the exception of 1924, when they did not have a home game.

The Packers have a record of 20-9-1 on Thanksgiving Day. Their most recent Thanksgiving Day game was a loss to the Detroit Lions in 2016.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football franchise based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Dolphins play their home games at Hard Rock Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida, and are headquartered in Davie, Florida.

Conclusion

The list of NFL teams playing on Thanksgiving changes from year to year, but there are always three games. This year, the Houston Texans will play the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys will take on the Washington Redskins, and the nightcap features the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Saints.