Which NFL Teams Are Playing on Thanksgiving?

Get a list of all the NFL teams playing on Thanksgiving Day so you can plan your viewing schedule around the big games.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most dominant teams in the NFL over the past two decades. They have won five Super Bowls, and their last two losses in the playoffs were to teams that went on to win the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are always a team to watch on Thanksgiving, as they have played on the holiday every year since 1966. This year, they will take on the Miami Dolphins.

Detroit Lions

Since 1930, the Detroit Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving. They are the only team in the NFL to have played on Thanksgiving every single year. The Lions have a long-standing tradition of playing at home on Thanksgiving, and they usually host one of the most high-profile games of the day. This year, they will be playing against the Minnesota Vikings.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.

The Packers are the last of the “small town teams” which were common in the NFL during the league’s early days of 1922 and 1923. Founded in 1919 by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the franchise traces its lineage to other semi-professional teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. Between 1919 and 1920, the Packers competed against other semi-pro clubs from around Wisconsin and the Midwest, before joining the American Professional Football Association, organized by Ohioan and future NFL commissioner Jim Thorpe on August 20, 1921.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are an American football team that competes in the National Football League (NFL). The team is based in Houston, Texas, and plays its home games at NRG Stadium. The Texans began play in 2002 as an expansion team, making them the youngest franchise in the NFL. The team has won two division championships (in 2011 and 2012) and made nine playoff appearances (in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011–12, 2016, and 2018).

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are scheduled to play against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. This will be the first time since 2001 that the Colts have played on Thanksgiving.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins will play the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. This will be the first time that the two teams have met on Thanksgiving. The game will be broadcast on CBS at 4:30 PM ET.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division.

The Vikings joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season. The team competes in the NFC North, as it did for most of its history until 2020, when it was realigned to the NFC South as part of a larger NFL scheduling reorganization.

New England Patriots

This year, the New England Patriots will take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Patriots are one of the most successful teams in NFL history, and they always bring their A-game on Thanksgiving. The Lions, on the other hand, are one of the most disappointing teams in recent years. But, they always put up a fight against the Patriots on Thanksgiving. So, it should be a good game.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are playing the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving.

New York Jets

The New York Jets are not playing on Thanksgiving this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. In the 2017 season, the Eagles won Super Bowl LII, their first Super Bowl win in franchise history and their fourth NFL title overall, after winning the Championship Game in 1948, 1949, and 1960.

The Eagles have made 16 postseason appearances, won three NFC Championships (1980, 2004, 2018), and have appeared in two Super Bowls (XLV and LII).

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC.

In contrast with their status as perennial also-rans in the pre-merger NFL, where they were unable to post a winning record for 40 years, the Steelers of the post-merger era are one of the most successful NFL franchises. Since the advent of free agency in 1993, the team has won more regular season games than any other team, and have fielded 16 NFL Pro Bowlers and 11 NFL All-Pros during that time period. The Steelers have won 8 AFC championships—tied with New England Patriots and Denver Broncos—and hosted more conference championship games than any other AFC or NFC team. They currently play their home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Side in downtown Pittsburgh.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night in 2020. This will be the first time the two teams have met on Thanksgiving since 1923, when the Packers defeated the 49ers 19-0. The Packers are currently scheduled to play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving day, but it is not yet known if that game will be played.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are an American professional football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference West division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Seahawks are owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and are currently coached by Pete Carroll. Since 2002, the Seahawks have played their home games at CenturyLink Field, located south of downtown Seattle. The Seahawks previously played home games in the Kingdome (1976–1999) and Husky Stadium (1994–2001).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 2020 NFL Thanksgiving schedule will feature three divisional matchups on CBS and the NFL Network. The Detroit Lions will host the Houston Texans at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Washington Football Team hosting the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET. In the primetime game, the Baltimore Ravens will travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Thanksgiving this year. This will be the first time the Titans have played on Thanksgiving in franchise history. The game will be broadcast on CBS at 12:00pm EST.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins will take on the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving this year. This will be the first time the two teams have faced off on Thanksgiving since 2012. The Redskins are coming into the game with a 6-4 record, while the Cowboys are 5-5.