The NFL Thanksgiving logo used for 2016; the year is updated annually, with the new NFL shield being used for the first time in 2008.

Since its inception in 1920, the National Football League (NFL) has played games on Thanksgiving Day, patterned upon the historic playing of college football games on and around the holiday. The NFL's Thanksgiving Day games have traditionally included one game hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and one game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966 (with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977). Since 2006, a third prime time game has also been played on Thanksgiving. Unlike the afternoon games, this game has no fixed teams.

In 2022, the NFL branded the Thanksgiving Day games as the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration, to honor head coach and broadcaster John Madden, who had died in December 2021.[1]

History

The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day.[2] The University of Michigan also made it a tradition to play annual Thanksgiving games, holding 19 such games from 1885 to 1905.[3][4][5][6][7] The Thanksgiving Day games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as "The Beginning of Thanksgiving Day Football."[8] In some areas, most commonly in New England, high-school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to wrap-up the regular-season.

By the time football had become a professional event, playing on Thanksgiving had already become an institution. Records of pro football being played on Thanksgiving date back to as early as the 1890s, with the first pro–am team, the Allegheny Athletic Association of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1902, the National Football League, a Major League Baseball-backed organization based entirely in Pennsylvania and unrelated to the current NFL, attempted to settle its championship over Thanksgiving weekend; after the game ended in a tie, eventually all three teams in the league claimed to have won the title. Members of the Ohio League, during its early years, usually placed their marquee matchups on Thanksgiving Day. For instance, in 1905 and 1906 the Latrobe Athletic Association and Canton Bulldogs, considered at the time to be two of the best teams in professional football (along with the Massillon Tigers), played on Thanksgiving. A rigging scandal with the Tigers leading up to the 1906 game led to severe drops in attendance for the Bulldogs and ultimately led to their suspension of operations. During the 1910s, the Ohio League stopped holding Thanksgiving games because many of its players coached high school teams and were unavailable. This was not the case in other regional circuits: in 1919, the New York Pro Football League featured a Thanksgiving matchup between the Buffalo Prospects and the Rochester Jeffersons. The game ended in a scoreless tie, leading to a rematch the next Sunday for the league championship.

The Detroit Lions, seen here during the 2007 Thanksgiving game against their division rival Green Bay Packers, have played on Thanksgiving since 1934.

Several other NFL teams played regularly on Thanksgiving in the first eighteen years of the league, including the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals (1922–33; the Bears played the Lions from 1934 to 1938 while the Cardinals switched to the Green Bay Packers for 1934 and 1935), Frankford Yellow Jackets, Pottsville Maroons, Buffalo All-Americans, Canton Bulldogs (even after the team moved to Cleveland they played the 1924 Thanksgiving game in Canton), and the New York Giants (1929–38, who always played a crosstown rival). The first owner of the Lions, George A. Richards, started the tradition of the Thanksgiving Day game as a gimmick to get people to go to Lions football games, and to continue a tradition begun by the city's previous NFL teams.[9] What differentiated the Lions' efforts from other teams that played on the holiday was that Richards owned radio station WJR, a major affiliate of the NBC Blue Network (the forerunner to today's American Broadcasting Company); he was able to negotiate an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving games live across the network.[10]

During the Franksgiving controversy in 1939 and 1940, the only two teams to play the game were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, as both teams were in the same state (Pennsylvania). (At the time, then-U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to move the holiday for economic reasons and many states were resistant to the move; half the states recognized the move and the other half did not. This complicated scheduling for Thanksgiving games. Incidentally, the two teams were also exploring the possibility of a merger at the time.[11]) Because of the looming World War II and the resulting shorter seasons, the NFL did not schedule any Thanksgiving games in 1941, nor did it schedule any in the subsequent years until the war ended in 1945. When the Thanksgiving games resumed in 1945, only the Lions' annual home game would remain on the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1951, the Packers began a thirteen-season run as the perpetual opponent to the Lions each year through 1963.

The All-America Football Conference and American Football League, both of which would later be absorbed into the NFL, also held Thanksgiving contests, although neither of those leagues had permanent hosts. Likewise, the AFL of 1926 also played two Thanksgiving games in its lone season of existence, while the AFL of 1936 hosted one in its first season, which featured the Cleveland Rams, a future NFL team, and the 1940–41 incarnation of the American Football League played two games in 1940 on the earlier "Franksgiving" date.

In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys, who had been founded six years earlier, adopted the practice of hosting Thanksgiving games. It is widely rumored that the Cowboys sought a guarantee that they would regularly host Thanksgiving games as a condition of their very first one (since games on days other than Sunday were uncommon at the time and thus high attendance was not a certainty).[12] This is only partly true: Dallas had in fact decided on their own to host games on Thanksgiving because there was nothing else to do or watch on that day. In 1975 and 1977, at the behest of then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the St. Louis Cardinals replaced Dallas as a host team (Dallas then hosted St. Louis in 1976). Although the Cardinals, at the time known as the "Cardiac Cards" due to their propensity for winning very close games, were a modest success at the time, they were nowhere near as popular nationwide as the Cowboys, who were regular Super Bowl contenders during this era. This, combined with St. Louis's consistently weak attendance, a series of ugly Cardinals losses in the three-game stretch, and opposition from the Kirkwood–Webster Groves Turkey Day Game (a local high school football contest) led to Dallas resuming regular hosting duties in 1978; it was then, after Rozelle asked Dallas to resume hosting Thanksgiving games, that the Cowboys requested (and received) an agreement guaranteeing the Cowboys a spot on Thanksgiving Day forever.[13]

Since 1978, Thanksgiving games have been hosted in Detroit and Dallas every year, with Detroit in the early time slot and Dallas in the late afternoon slot. Because of television network commitments in place through the 2013 season, to make sure that both the AFC-carrying network (NBC from 1965 to 1997, and CBS since 1998) and the NFC-carrying network (CBS from 1956 to 1993, and Fox since 1994) got at least one game each, one of these games was between NFC opponents, and one featured AFC-NFC opponents. Thus, the AFC could showcase only one team on Thanksgiving, and the AFC team was always the visiting team.

In 1997, the Salvation Army began the tradition of kicking off its Christmas Kettle campaign during halftime of the Dallas game.[14]

Since 2006, a third NFL game on Thanksgiving has been played in primetime. It originally aired on the NFL Network as part of its Thursday Night Football package until 2011, when the game was moved to NBC's Sunday Night Football package under the NFL's current television deals. The night game has never had any conference tie-ins, meaning the league can place any game into the time slot. Since NBC took over the primetime game in 2012, divisional matchups have been normally scheduled, with the exceptions being in 2016, 2021 and 2022. In 2014, a series of changes to the broadcast contracts freed CBS from its obligation to carry an AFC team; by 2018, the last vestiges of conference ties to the Thanksgiving games were eliminated (in practice, games on Fox remain all-NFC contests).

The originally scheduled 2020 primetime game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed to the following Wednesday, December 2, after multiple Baltimore players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the days before the game. This thus marked the first time no primetime contest was held since 2005.[15]

On November 11, 2022, the league announced that the Thanksgiving games would be branded as the "John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration", honoring the memory of head coach and broadcaster John Madden. Madden called 20 Thanksgiving games during his broadcasting career.[1]

Throwback uniforms

Since 2001 teams playing on Thanksgiving have worn throwback uniforms on numerous occasions. In 2002, it extended to nearly all games of the weekend, and in some cases also involved classic field logos at the stadiums.

From 2001 to 2003, Dallas chose to represent the 1990s Cowboys dynasty by wearing the navy "Double-Star" jersey not seen since 1995. In 2004, the team wore uniforms not seen since 1963. In 2009, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL, both Dallas and Oakland played in a "AFL Legacy Game." In 2013, the Cowboys intended to wear their 1960s throwbacks, but chose not to do so after the NFL adopted a new policy requiring players and teams to utilize only one helmet a season to address the league's new concussion protocol; rather than sport an incomplete throwback look, the Cowboys instead wore their standard blue jerseys at home for the first time since 1963.[16] In 2015, the Cowboys resurrected their 1994 white "Double-Star" jerseys only this time wore them with white pants as part of the league's Color Rush, a trial run of specially-designed, monochromatic jerseys to be worn during Thursday games. In 2022, after the NFL lifted the one-helmet rule, the Cowboys resumed wearing the throwback navy "Double-Star" jerseys on Thanksgiving.

In 2001–2004, and again in 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023 the Detroit Lions have worn throwback uniforms based on their very early years. For 2019 and 2022, Detroit wore its silver Color Rush uniforms.

Memorable games

  • 1920: An urban legend states that the Chicago Tigers and Decatur Staleys challenged each other to a Thanksgiving duel, in Chicago, in the league's inaugural season, with the loser being relegated out of the league at the end of the season, purportedly explaining why the Tigers were the only NFL team to fold after the 1920 season (no other team would fold until 1921). The claims of it being a duel are unsubstantiated; nevertheless, the Tigers, after a 27–0 win over the non-league Thorn Tornadoes the next week, never played football again. The Staleys would move to Chicago during the next season, later renaming themselves the Bears.[17]
  • 1921: In a matchup of two of the league's best teams, the Chicago Staleys lost to the Buffalo All-Americans at home. The Staleys demanded a rematch, with Buffalo agreeing to a December match only on the terms of it being considered an off-the-record exhibition game. That later match, which Chicago won, ended up counting despite the All-Americans' insistence, controversially handing Chicago the championship.
  • 1929: Ernie Nevers scored 40 points—an NFL record that still stands, and the entirety of the Chicago Cardinals' scoring that day (including the extra points)—in a rout over their crosstown rivals the Chicago Bears, who scored only 6 points.
  • 1952: The Dallas Texans were forced to move their lone remaining home game to the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio as the undercard to a high school football contest. Their opponent for that game, the Chicago Bears, underestimated the then-winless Texans and sent their second string team to the game; the Texans scored a 27–23 upset over the Bears for their only win of their existence.
  • 1962: The Detroit Lions handed the 10–0 Green Bay Packers their lone defeat of the season, 26–14. The game was dubbed the "Thanksgiving Day Massacre" due to the dominant performance by the Lions defense, who sacked Bart Starr 11 times.[18][19]
  • 1964–65: The 1964 and 1965 AFL contests featured the Buffalo Bills and the San Diego Chargers, the two teams that would eventually meet in those years' American Football League Championship Games. Buffalo won the 1964 Thanksgiving game 27–24 and the 1965 game ended in a 20–20 tie. Both games were played at Balboa Stadium in San Diego.
  • 1969: In a blinding snowstorm at Tiger Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings blanked the Lions 27–0, featuring an interception by Jim Marshall, who lateraled to Alan Page on the return, resulting in a touchdown.
  • 1974: Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Clint Longley took over for an injured Roger Staubach with the team down 16–3 and rallied them to an improbable 24–23 victory over the Washington Redskins on two deep passes.
  • 1976: The Buffalo Bills offense put forth one of the best and the worst performances in Thanksgiving history. O. J. Simpson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game, with 273. However, Bills backup quarterback Gary Marangi—playing in relief of Joe Ferguson and himself battling shoulder injuries—completed only 4 of 21 pass attempts, for 29 yards passing, no touchdowns (one was called back on a penalty) and a rating of 19.7. The Detroit Lions defeated the Bills 27–14.[20] In a 2022 interview, Simpson, Marangi and Joe DeLamielleure expressed embarrassment over the game (part of a rebuilding season in which Bills coach Lou Saban quit midseason, Jim Ringo went winless as Saban's replacement and their star receivers had been traded away), noting that Simpson had broken a record he already held at the time (which Simpson compared to "kissing your sister") and that he had more pride in other games the Bills won with Simpson rushing for over 200 yards, despite not setting records.[21]
  • 1980: With the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears tied 17–17 at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, the first Thanksgiving game to do so (overtime was not added to the NFL regular season until 1974), and the first overtime game at the Silverdome. Bears running back Dave Williams returned the fifth-quarter opening kickoff 95 yards for a game-winning touchdown, ending the shortest overtime period in NFL history at the time (13 seconds).
  • 1986: The Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers had the second-highest scoring game in Thanksgiving history (the highest-scoring game came in 1951). It was the best day of receiver Walter Stanley's career; Stanley netted 207 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yard punt return to win the game for Green Bay, 44–40. Stanley had an otherwise undistinguished career in the NFL.
  • 1989: In what was known as the "Bounty Bowl", the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 27–0. Allegations surfaced that the Eagles had placed a bounty on the Cowboys kicker, thus becoming the first of a string of three bitterly contested games between the two teams, the other two being Bounty Bowl II and the Porkchop Bowl a year later.
  • 1993: In one of the more famous Thanksgiving Day games in recent history, the Dallas Cowboys led the Miami Dolphins 14–13 with just seconds remaining in a rare, sleet-filled Texas Stadium. Miami's Pete Stoyanovich attempted a game winning 40-yard field goal that was blocked by the Cowboys' Jimmie Jones. Dick Enberg (who was calling the game for NBC) proclaimed "The Cowboys will win." Indeed, since the kick landed beyond the line of scrimmage, once the ball stopped moving the play would be declared dead and Dallas would gain possession. However, the ball landed and began spinning on its tip, leading Cowboys lineman Leon Lett to try to gain possession. Lett slipped, fell, and knocked the ball forward. By rule, the ball was live and the Dolphins fell on it at the two yard line. With the recovery, Stoyanovich got a second chance to win the game and he hit the much shorter field goal. The Dolphins won 16–14.[22]
  • 1994: Troy Aikman was injured and third-string quarterback (and future Cowboys head coach) Jason Garrett was forced to start for Dallas against the Packers. The Cowboys won a 42–31 shoot-out against Brett Favre.
  • 1998: In another controversial Thanksgiving Day game, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions went to overtime tied 16–16. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis called the coin toss in the air, but head referee Phil Luckett declared Detroit the winner of the toss after Bettis reportedly said "He...tails." Luckett concluded Bettis' call was "heads", but Bettis insisted he had said "tails." The Lions elected to receive, and they went on to kick a field goal on the first possession, winning 19–16. As a result of the fiasco, officials are now required to confirm a captain's call before tossing the coin, and at least two officials must be involved in each toss. A later rule change now prevents teams from automatically winning a game by scoring a field goal on the first possession. The day also saw a memorable performance by the Minnesota Vikings in a 46–36 win over the Dallas Cowboys as Vikings rookie wide receiver Randy Moss caught three touchdowns, all of over 50 yards.
  • 2008: The 10–1 Tennessee Titans routed the 0–11 Lions by a score of 47–10, one of the most lopsided results in history on Thanksgiving. The Lions would go on to finish the season 0–16, clinching the 33rd[23] winless season in NFL history, the ninth since 1930, and the first under the 16-game schedule.
  • 2011: The trio of games[24] was lauded as one of the better Thanksgiving Day slates of games in NFL history as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 27–15, the Dallas Cowboys edged the Miami Dolphins 20–19 and the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 16–6.[25] The night game pitted head coaches and Harbaugh brothers John of the Ravens and Jim of the 49ers against each other – a preview of the next year's Super Bowl XLVII.
  • 2012: The prime time contest became infamous for the "Butt fumble", an incident in which New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ran headfirst into the buttocks of Brandon Moore, one of his own offensive linemen. He subsequently fumbled the ball; and it was recovered by the New England Patriots, who immediately returned it for a touchdown, part of 35 second quarter points by the Patriots in a one-sided 49–19 victory. In an earlier game, one of the NFL's most infamous rule changes came when former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz challenged a play in which Houston Texans running back Justin Forsett's knee clearly touched the ground before sprinting for an 81-yard touchdown. Referee Walt Coleman stated that, by rule, scoring plays are automatically reviewed and the play was not challengeable by a coach. Because of the improperly attempted challenge, the review was cancelled and Coleman assessed a 15-yard kickoff penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The NFL then passed a new rule that stated that if a coach attempted to challenge a play that is automatically reviewed, the review would continue. It was called the 'Jim Schwartz rule'. Houston won the game 34–31 in overtime.
  • 2013: During the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens matchup, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin became the subject of controversy when video replay showed him interfering with a kick return as he was standing just off the field along the visiting team's sideline while Baltimore's Jacoby Jones broke free on a kickoff return for a potential game-breaking touchdown.[26] Tomlin, with his back to the approaching play, appeared to glance over his shoulder then place his foot briefly onto the field as he jumped out of the way, causing Jones to veer inside where he was tackled. Several Ravens players claimed Tomlin had intentionally interfered with Jones; if officials had agreed, a touchdown could have been awarded to the Ravens based on the palpably unfair act. However, no penalty was called for interference or for standing in the white border area reserved for the officiating crew. The Ravens beat the Steelers 22–20. Following a league investigation, on December 4, 2013, the NFL announced that they had fined Tomlin $100,000 for his actions on the field.[27]
  • 2022: In a game nicknamed "23 Seconds"[28] or "21 Seconds"[29] in homage to the 13 Seconds playoff game the year before, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Detroit Lions 28–25 on an end-of-game drive that elapsed 21 of the last 23 seconds off the game clock, culminating in the winning field goal by Tyler Bass with two seconds remaining.[30]

Home team controversy

It has remained a tradition for Dallas and Detroit to host the afternoon games dating several decades. Other teams eventually expressed interest in hosting Thanksgiving games. Lamar Hunt, the former owner of the Chiefs (who had hosted Thanksgiving games from 1967 to 1969 as an AFL team prior to the merger), lobbied heavily in favor of his team hosting a game on the holiday. When the NFL adopted a third, prime time game, the Chiefs were selected as the first team to host such a contest, but the team was not made a permanent host, and Hunt's death shortly after the 2006 contest ended the lobbying on behalf of the team.

The host issue came to a head in 2008, focusing particularly on the winless Lions. Going into the game, Detroit had lost their last four Thanksgiving games, and opinions amongst the media had suggested removing Detroit and replacing them with a more attractive matchup. The team also required an extension to prevent a local television blackout.[31] The Lions were routed by Tennessee 47–10, en route to the team's 0–16 season.[32] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the Lions would stay on Thanksgiving for the 2009 season, but kept the issue open to revisit in the future.[33][34]

Conversely, the Dallas Cowboys, who typically represent a larger television draw,[35] have had far fewer public calls to be replaced on Thanksgiving. One issue that has been debated is a perceived unfair advantage of playing at home on Thanksgiving.[36] The advantage is given in the form of an extra day of practice for the home team while the road team has to travel to the game site. This is true for most Thursday games, but with the night games, the visitor can travel to the game site after practice on Wednesday and hold the final walkthrough the following morning.

With the introduction of the prime time game, which effectively allows all teams in the league an opportunity to play on Thanksgiving, along with the introduction of year-long Thursday Night Football ensuring all teams have one Thursday game during the regular season (thus negating any on-field advantages or disadvantages to being selected for Thanksgiving), the calls for Detroit and Dallas to be removed have diminished.

Broadcasting

DuMont was the first network to televise Thanksgiving games in 1953; CBS took over in 1956, and in 1965, the first color television broadcast of an NFL game was the Thanksgiving match between the Lions and the Baltimore Colts.

Starting in 1970, the Detroit "early" game and the Dallas "late" game initially rotated annually as intra-conference (NFC at NFC) and inter-conference (AFC at NFC) games. This was to satisfy the then-television contract balance between the network holding the rights to the "AFC package" and televised inter-conference games in which the visiting team is from the AFC (NBC from 1970 to 1997, and CBS since 1998) and the network with the "NFC package" (CBS from 1970 to 1993, and Fox since 1994).

In 2006, the third game in primetime originally aired on the NFL Network. In 2012, NBC took over broadcasting the primetime game, and ever since all three broadcast networks with Sunday NFL rights carry one Thanksgiving game apiece. The first two games continue to be split between CBS and Fox, with CBS getting the 12:30 p.m. (EST) Detroit "early" game, and Fox getting the 4:30 p.m. Dallas "late" game in even-numbered years, and Fox getting the "early" game and CBS the "late" game in odd-numbered years.

In 2014, a system known as "cross-flex" was introduced, in which the two networks bound by conference restrictions, CBS and Fox, could carry games from the other conference as part of their Sunday afternoon package,[37][38] including the potential for CBS to broadcast an NFC vs. NFC game on Thanksgiving.[39] From that year through 2016, CBS carried all-NFC contests every year on Thanksgiving, and in 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2023, no AFC teams played in any of the Thanksgiving games. To date, the NFL has never assigned an AFC road game to Fox on Thanksgiving.

Westwood One most recently held national radio broadcast rights to all three games, with Compass Media Networks sharing rights to the Cowboys contest. (Under league rules, only radio stations that carry at least 12 Cowboys games in a season are allowed to carry the Compass broadcast.) The participating teams also air the games on their local flagship stations and regional radio networks.

The Cowboys' Thanksgiving game has regularly been the most watched NFL regular season telecast each year, with the Lions' Thanksgiving game usually in the top five.

Game results

(Winning teams are denoted by boldface type; tie games are italicized.)

1920–1940

  • All three of the generally recognized iterations of the American Football League that played during this era (AFL I in 1926, AFL II in 1936 and AFL III in 1940) played Thanksgiving games, which are also listed as indicated.
  • Non-NFL team games between league teams and non league teams counted in the 1920 standings. The All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks later joined the league as the Tonawanda Kardex, albeit only for one game.
  • Thanksgiving fell on the final Thursday in November until 1938 and was held on two conflicting days from 1939 to 1941.

1945–1959

  • No Thanksgiving games were held from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II.
  • Thanksgiving games were played on the fourth Thursday in November from 1945 onward.
  • The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) also played Thanksgiving games from 1946 to 1949.
SeasonLeagueVisiting teamScoreHome teamScoreNetwork
November 22, 1945NFLCleveland Rams28Detroit Lions21
November 28, 1946NFLBoston Yanks34Detroit Lions10
AAFCNew York Yankees21Brooklyn Dodgers7
November 27, 1947NFLChicago Bears34Detroit Lions14
AAFCCleveland Browns27Los Angeles Dons17
AAFCSan Francisco 49ers21Brooklyn Dodgers7
November 25, 1948NFLChicago Cardinals28Detroit Lions14
AAFCCleveland Browns31Los Angeles Dons14
AAFCBuffalo Bills39Chicago Rockets35
November 24, 1949NFLChicago Bears28Detroit Lions7
AAFCNew York Yankees17Los Angeles Dons16
AAFCCleveland Browns14Chicago Hornets6
November 23, 1950NFLNew York Yanks14Detroit Lions49
Pittsburgh Steelers28Chicago Cardinals17
November 22, 1951NFLGreen Bay Packers35Detroit Lions52
November 27, 1952NFLGreen Bay Packers24Detroit Lions48
Chicago Bears23Dallas Texans (at Akron, Ohio)27
November 26, 1953NFLGreen Bay Packers15Detroit Lions34DuMont
November 25, 1954NFLGreen Bay Packers24Detroit Lions28DuMont
November 24, 1955NFLGreen Bay Packers10Detroit Lions24DuMont
November 22, 1956NFLGreen Bay Packers24Detroit Lions20CBS
November 28, 1957NFLGreen Bay Packers6Detroit Lions18CBS
November 27, 1958NFLGreen Bay Packers14Detroit Lions24CBS
November 26, 1959NFLGreen Bay Packers24Detroit Lions17CBS

1960–1969

SeasonLeagueVisiting teamScoreHome teamScoreNetwork
November 24, 1960NFLGreen Bay Packers10Detroit Lions23CBS
AFLDallas Texans35New York Titans41ABC
November 23, 1961NFLGreen Bay Packers17Detroit Lions9CBS
AFLBuffalo Bills14New York Titans21ABC
November 22, 1962NFLGreen Bay Packers14Detroit Lions26CBS
AFLNew York Titans46Denver Broncos45ABC
November 28, 1963NFLGreen Bay Packers13Detroit Lions13CBS
AFLOakland Raiders26Denver Broncos10ABC
November 26, 1964NFLChicago Bears27Detroit Lions24CBS
AFLBuffalo Bills27San Diego Chargers24ABC
November 25, 1965NFLBaltimore Colts24Detroit Lions24CBS
AFLBuffalo Bills20San Diego Chargers20NBC
November 24, 1966NFLSan Francisco 49ers41Detroit Lions14CBS
Cleveland Browns14Dallas Cowboys26CBS
AFLBuffalo Bills31Oakland Raiders10NBC
November 23, 1967NFLLos Angeles Rams31Detroit Lions7CBS
St. Louis Cardinals21Dallas Cowboys46CBS
AFLOakland Raiders44Kansas City Chiefs22NBC
Denver Broncos20San Diego Chargers24NBC
November 28, 1968NFLPhiladelphia Eagles12Detroit Lions0CBS
Washington Redskins20Dallas Cowboys29CBS
AFLBuffalo Bills10Oakland Raiders13NBC
Houston Oilers10Kansas City Chiefs24NBC
November 27, 1969NFLMinnesota Vikings27Detroit Lions0CBS
San Francisco 49ers24Dallas Cowboys24CBS
AFLDenver Broncos17Kansas City Chiefs31NBC
San Diego Chargers21Houston Oilers17NBC

1970–2005

  • From 1970 to 2005, two afternoon games were played every Thanksgiving. They were held at Detroit and Dallas, with the Lions hosting the "early" game (12:30 p.m. EST) and the Cowboys holding the "late" game (initially at 4:00 p.m. EST, then moved to 4:15 p.m. EST in 1998). Detroit always hosted the "early" game because a 12:30 p.m. EST kick-off at Dallas would be 11:30 a.m. local time (CST), and the NFL avoids starting games before noon locally. Detroit's 12:30 p.m. "early" game kickoff is also thirty minutes earlier than the typical afternoon start time (1:00 p.m.). This helps reduce the chance of the two games overlapping.
  • The two games initially rotated annually as intra-conference (NFC at NFC) and inter-conference (AFC at NFC) games. This was to satisfy the then-television contract balance between the network holding the rights to the "AFC package" and televised inter-conference games in which the visiting team is from the AFC (NBC from 1970 to 1997, and CBS since 1998) and the network with the "NFC package" (CBS from 1970 to 1993, and Fox since 1994).
  • CBS and NBC initially started their Thanksgiving pregame coverage thirty minutes before kickoff of their respective games, similar to their thirty-minute pregame coverage on Sunday afternoons. After Fox acquired NFL rights in 1994, and debuted the hour-long Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, they also started their hour-long pregame coverage at 11:30 a.m. when televising the Detroit "early" game, but kept a thirty-minute pregame show when televising the Dallas "late" game. When CBS reacquired NFL rights in 1998, they still started their The NFL Today pregame coverage at 12:00 p.m. when televising the Detroit "early" game due to the fact that their morning parade coverage ran until noon.
  • Dallas was replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals as a host team in 1975 and 1977; Dallas and St. Louis faced each other at Texas Stadium in 1976. Because of the Missouri Turkey Day Game, the long-established KirkwoodWebster Groves high school football game that takes place on Thanksgiving in St. Louis, weak fan support in St. Louis, and general national preference of the Cowboys over the historically weaker Cardinals, the Cardinals' hosting of the Thanksgiving game was not popular. Dallas returned to hosting the game in 1978 and has hosted since. Likewise, the Rams never played on Thanksgiving while in St. Louis, in part because of the Turkey Day Game and also because the Missouri State High School Activities Association held its state football championship games on Thanksgiving weekend at The Dome at America's Center from 1996 to 2015.
  • After the NFL division realignment in 2002, no team from the AFC North could play a Thanksgiving Day game against the traditional hosts. This was because under the current rotation, the Cowboys and the Lions each play AFC North teams in years that Fox is scheduled to broadcast its Thanksgiving Day game, requiring an NFC opponent. The last game to feature a team currently in the AFC North was the Lions matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998. AFC North teams could play in the prime time game, as the Bengals did in 2010.
SeasonVisiting teamScoreHome teamScoreOTSignificanceNetwork
November 26, 1970Oakland Raiders14Detroit Lions28NBC
Green Bay Packers3Dallas Cowboys16Cowboys–Packers rivalryCBS
November 25, 1971Kansas City Chiefs21Detroit Lions32NBC
Los Angeles Rams21Dallas Cowboys28Cowboys–Rams rivalryCBS
November 23, 1972New York Jets20Detroit Lions37NBC
San Francisco 49ers31Dallas Cowboys1049ers–Cowboys rivalryCBS
November 22, 1973Washington Redskins20Detroit Lions0CBS
Miami Dolphins14Dallas Cowboys7NBC
November 28, 1974Denver Broncos31Detroit Lions27NBC
Washington Redskins23Dallas Cowboys24Cowboys–Redskins rivalryCBS
November 27, 1975Los Angeles Rams20Detroit Lions0CBS
Buffalo Bills32St. Louis Cardinals14NBC
November 25, 1976Buffalo Bills14Detroit Lions27NBC
St. Louis Cardinals14Dallas Cowboys19CBS
November 24, 1977Chicago Bears31Detroit Lions14Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Miami Dolphins55St. Louis Cardinals14NBC
November 23, 1978Denver Broncos14Detroit Lions17NBC
Washington Redskins10Dallas Cowboys37Cowboys–Redskins rivalryCBS
November 22, 1979Chicago Bears0Detroit Lions20Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Houston Oilers30Dallas Cowboys24Governor's CupNBC
November 27, 1980Chicago Bears23Detroit Lions17(OT)Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Seattle Seahawks7Dallas Cowboys51NBC
November 26, 1981Kansas City Chiefs10Detroit Lions27NBC
Chicago Bears9Dallas Cowboys10CBS
November 25, 1982New York Giants13Detroit Lions6CBS
Cleveland Browns14Dallas Cowboys31NBC
November 24, 1983Pittsburgh Steelers3Detroit Lions45NBC
St. Louis Cardinals17Dallas Cowboys35CBS
November 22, 1984Green Bay Packers28Detroit Lions31Lions–Packers rivalryCBS
New England Patriots17Dallas Cowboys20NBC
November 28, 1985New York Jets20Detroit Lions31NBC
St. Louis Cardinals17Dallas Cowboys35CBS
November 27, 1986Green Bay Packers44Detroit Lions40Lions–Packers rivalryCBS
Seattle Seahawks31Dallas Cowboys14NBC
November 26, 1987Kansas City Chiefs27Detroit Lions20NBC
Minnesota Vikings44Dallas Cowboys38(OT)Cowboys–Vikings rivalryCBS
November 24, 1988Minnesota Vikings23Detroit Lions0Lions–Vikings rivalryCBS
Houston Oilers25Dallas Cowboys17Governor's CupNBC
November 23, 1989Cleveland Browns10Detroit Lions13NBC
Philadelphia Eagles27Dallas Cowboys0Cowboys–Eagles rivalryCBS
November 22, 1990Denver Broncos27Detroit Lions40NBC
Washington Redskins17Dallas Cowboys27Cowboys–Redskins rivalryCBS
November 28, 1991Chicago Bears6Detroit Lions16Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Pittsburgh Steelers10Dallas Cowboys20Cowboys–Steelers rivalryNBC
November 26, 1992Houston Oilers24Detroit Lions21NBC
New York Giants3Dallas Cowboys30Cowboys–Giants rivalryCBS
November 25, 1993Chicago Bears10Detroit Lions6Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Miami Dolphins16Dallas Cowboys14NBC
November 24, 1994Buffalo Bills21Detroit Lions35NBC
Green Bay Packers31Dallas Cowboys42Cowboys–Packers rivalryFox
November 23, 1995Minnesota Vikings38Detroit Lions44Lions–Vikings rivalryFox
Kansas City Chiefs12Dallas Cowboys24NBC
November 28, 1996Kansas City Chiefs28Detroit Lions24NBC
Washington Redskins10Dallas Cowboys21Cowboys–Redskins rivalryFox
November 27, 1997Chicago Bears20Detroit Lions55Bears–Lions rivalryFox
Tennessee Oilers27Dallas Cowboys14NBC
November 26, 1998Pittsburgh Steelers16Detroit Lions19(OT)CBS
Minnesota Vikings46Dallas Cowboys36Cowboys–Vikings rivalryFox
November 25, 1999Chicago Bears17Detroit Lions21Bears–Lions rivalryFox
Miami Dolphins0Dallas Cowboys20CBS
November 23, 2000New England Patriots9Detroit Lions34CBS
Minnesota Vikings27Dallas Cowboys15Cowboys–Vikings rivalryFox
November 22, 2001Green Bay Packers29Detroit Lions27Lions–Packers rivalryFox
Denver Broncos26Dallas Cowboys24CBS
November 28, 2002New England Patriots20Detroit Lions12CBS
Washington Redskins20Dallas Cowboys27Cowboys–Redskins rivalryFox
November 27, 2003Green Bay Packers14Detroit Lions22Lions–Packers rivalryFox
Miami Dolphins40Dallas Cowboys21CBS
November 25, 2004Indianapolis Colts41Detroit Lions9CBS
Chicago Bears7Dallas Cowboys21Fox
November 24, 2005Atlanta Falcons27Detroit Lions7Fox
Denver Broncos24Dallas Cowboys21(OT)CBS

2006–present

  • Since 2006, three contests have been scheduled for Thanksgiving. In addition to the traditional Detroit and Dallas home afternoon games, a third game is now played in primetime and televised by NFL Network (2006–2011) or NBC (since 2012). The third game's start times have generally been the same as other primetime games, with pregame coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST and kickoff at 8:20 p.m. EST. The primetime game is hosted by a different team (other than the Lions and Cowboys) each season.
  • The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Denver Broncos in the first "Thanksgiving Tripleheader" primetime game in 2006. This game also marked the first time that more than two games were played on Thanksgiving (as well as the first all-AFC holiday matchup) since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
  • In 2012, the Dallas game's kickoff time was moved from 4:15 p.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST, with the networks also moving their pregame coverage for that game to 4:00 p.m. EST.
  • The 2014 season was the first in which CBS no longer had to air an inter-conference (AFC at NFC) Thanksgiving game. Instead, all three games featured NFC vs. NFC opponents for the first time. There were also all-NFC matchups in 2015, 2018 and 2023.[39][40] 2017 and 2019 each featured five NFC teams and only one participating AFC team.
  • From 2012 to 2015, and 2017 to 2019, the primetime game was held between division rivals. The originally scheduled 2020 primetime divisional rivalry game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed to Sunday, November 29 and eventually again to Wednesday, December 2 after multiple Baltimore players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the days before the game. This marked the first time no Thanksgiving prime time contest was held since 2005.[15]
  • In 2023, the three Thanksgiving day games were complimented by the first ever Black Friday game on Amazon Prime.[41]
SeasonVisiting teamScoreHome teamScoreOTSignificanceNetwork
November 23, 2006Miami Dolphins27Detroit Lions10CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers10Dallas Cowboys38Buccaneers' first Thanksgiving gameFox
Denver Broncos10Kansas City Chiefs19Broncos–Chiefs rivalry; debut of Thursday Night FootballNFL Network
November 22, 2007Green Bay Packers37Detroit Lions26Lions–Packers rivalryFox
New York Jets3Dallas Cowboys34CBS
Indianapolis Colts31Atlanta Falcons13Colts enter as the defending Super Bowl championsNFL Network
November 27, 2008Tennessee Titans47Detroit Lions10CBS
Seattle Seahawks9Dallas Cowboys34Fox
Arizona Cardinals20Philadelphia Eagles48A preview of that season's NFC Championship Game.NFL Network
November 26, 2009Green Bay Packers34Detroit Lions12Lions–Packers rivalryFox
Oakland Raiders7Dallas Cowboys2450th anniversary for both teams (AFL Legacy Game)CBS
New York Giants6Denver Broncos26Super Bowl XXI rematchNFL Network
November 25, 2010New England Patriots45Detroit Lions24CBS
New Orleans Saints30Dallas Cowboys27Saints' first Thanksgiving game, enter as the defending Super Bowl champions; 2009 Week 15 rematchFox
Cincinnati Bengals10New York Jets262009 AFC Wild Card playoff rematch; Bengals' first Thanksgiving gameNFL Network
November 24, 2011Green Bay Packers27Detroit Lions15Lions–Packers rivalry; Packers enter as the defending Super Bowl championsFox
Miami Dolphins19Dallas Cowboys20Super Bowl VI rematchCBS
San Francisco 49ers6Baltimore Ravens16Ravens' first Thanksgiving game; first Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh matchupNFL Network
November 22, 2012Houston Texans34Detroit Lions31(OT)Texans' first Thanksgiving gameCBS
Washington Redskins38Dallas Cowboys31Cowboys–Redskins rivalryFox
New England Patriots49New York Jets19Jets–Patriots rivalry (Butt Fumble)NBC
November 28, 2013Green Bay Packers10Detroit Lions40Lions–Packers rivalryFox
Oakland Raiders24Dallas Cowboys31CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers20Baltimore Ravens22Ravens–Steelers rivalry; Ravens enter as the defending Super Bowl championsNBC
November 27, 2014Chicago Bears17Detroit Lions34Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Philadelphia Eagles33Dallas Cowboys10Cowboys–Eagles rivalryFox
Seattle Seahawks19San Francisco 49ers349ers–Seahawks rivalry and the 2013 NFC Championship game rematch; Seahawks enter as the defending Super Bowl championsNBC
November 26, 2015Philadelphia Eagles14Detroit Lions45Fox
Carolina Panthers33Dallas Cowboys14Panthers' first Thanksgiving gameCBS
Chicago Bears17Green Bay Packers13Bears–Packers rivalryNBC
November 24, 2016Minnesota Vikings13Detroit Lions16Lions–Vikings rivalryCBS
Washington Redskins26Dallas Cowboys31Cowboys–Redskins rivalryFox
Pittsburgh Steelers28Indianapolis Colts72015 Week 13 rematchNBC
November 23, 2017Minnesota Vikings30Detroit Lions23Lions–Vikings rivalryFox
Los Angeles Chargers28Dallas Cowboys6Chargers' first Thanksgiving game since before the AFL–NFL mergerCBS
New York Giants10Washington Redskins20Giants–Redskins rivalryNBC
November 22, 2018Chicago Bears23Detroit Lions16Bears–Lions rivalryCBS
Washington Redskins23Dallas Cowboys31Cowboys–Redskins rivalryFox
Atlanta Falcons17New Orleans Saints31Falcons–Saints rivalryNBC
November 28, 2019Chicago Bears24Detroit Lions20Bears–Lions rivalryFox
Buffalo Bills26Dallas Cowboys15Commemoration of Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII (NFL 100)CBS
New Orleans Saints26Atlanta Falcons18Falcons–Saints rivalryNBC
November 26, 2020Houston Texans41Detroit Lions25CBS
Washington Football Team41Dallas Cowboys16Cowboys–Washington rivalryFox
November 25, 2021Chicago Bears16Detroit Lions14Bears–Lions rivalryFox
Las Vegas Raiders36Dallas Cowboys33(OT)Sixth overtime game; first since 2012CBS
Buffalo Bills31New Orleans Saints6NBC
November 24, 2022 Buffalo Bills28Detroit Lions25CBS
New York Giants20Dallas Cowboys28Cowboys–Giants rivalryFox
New England Patriots26Minnesota Vikings33NBC
November 23, 2023 Green Bay Packers29Detroit Lions22Lions–Packers rivalryFox
Washington Commanders10Dallas Cowboys45Commanders–Cowboys rivalryCBS
San Francisco 49ers31Seattle Seahawks1349ers–Seahawks rivalryNBC

Game standings

Of current NFL franchises. This includes American Football League (AFL) games; however, it does not include All-America Football Conference (AAFC) games.

Team Games played First game Most recent Wins Losses Ties Win % Other names appeared under
Arizona Cardinals21192220086152.304 Chicago Cardinals (1920–1959)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987)
Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993)
Atlanta Falcons420052019130.250
Baltimore Ravens2201120132001.000
Buffalo Bills1119612022641.591 Does not include 1–0 record of unrelated AAFC team of same name.
Carolina Panthers1201520151001.000
Chicago Bears371920202120152.568 Decatur Staleys (1920)
Chicago Staleys (1921)
Cincinnati Bengals120102010010.000
Cleveland Browns319661989030.000 Does not include 3–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.
Dallas Cowboys561966202333221.598
Denver Broncos1119622009470.364
Detroit Lions841934202337452.452 Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933)
Green Bay Packers371923202315202.432
Houston Texans2201220202001.000
Indianapolis Colts419652016211.625 Baltimore Colts (1953–1983)
Jacksonville Jaguars0NeverNever000 Only active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving.
Kansas City Chiefs1019672006550.500 Dallas Texans (1960–1962), does not include 1–0 record of unrelated NFL Dallas Texans.
Las Vegas Raiders819632021440.500 Oakland Raiders (1960–1981; 1995–2019)
Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1994)
Los Angeles Chargers519642017311.700 San Diego Chargers (1961–2016)
Los Angeles Rams519361975410.800 Cleveland Rams (1936–1945)
St. Louis Rams (1995–2015)
Miami Dolphins719732011520.714
Minnesota Vikings919692022720.778
New England Patriots619842022330.500 Boston Patriots (1960–1970)
New Orleans Saints420102021310.750
New York Giants1619262022763.531
New York Jets819602012440.500 New York Titans (1960–1962)
Philadelphia Eagles719392015610.857
Pittsburgh Steelers819392016260.250
San Francisco 49ers619662023321.583 Does not include 1–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.
Seattle Seahawks519802023230.400
Tampa Bay Buccaneers120062006010.000
Tennessee Titans719682008520.714 Houston Oilers (1960–1996)
Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998)
Washington Commanders1319682023490.308 Boston Braves (1932)
Boston Redskins (1933–1936)
Washington Redskins (1937–2019)
Washington Football Team (2020–2021)

Notable appearance droughts

The last currently active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving through 2023 is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995.

An idiosyncrasy in the NFL's current scheduling formula, which has been in effect in its basic form since 2002, effectively prevented teams from the AFC North from playing at the Lions or Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The formula had the AFC North playing at Dallas or at Detroit in years when other divisions were slated to fill the AFC slot on Thanksgiving. These teams, under the television contracts in place at the time, could only play in the third (night) game. With changes in the scheduling practices in 2014 ("cross-flexing"), the division is no longer barred from participating in one of the afternoon games. Even with cross-flexing available, an AFC North team has yet to play at Detroit or Dallas on Thanksgiving, and all of the AFC North's appearances have thus far been in the night game.

The Los Angeles Rams have the longest active appearance drought of any team, with their last appearance coming in 1975.

Since 2010, several appearance droughts have ended. New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston, and Carolina all played their first Thanksgiving games during this time frame. San Francisco likewise played their first Thanksgiving game since 1972 in 2011. The Los Angeles Chargers, who last played on the holiday in 1969 (while the team was still an AFL franchise in San Diego), appeared for the first time as an NFL member in 2017.[42]

Thanksgiving Day records of defunct teams

League teams only, since 1920.
Team Wins Losses Ties Win Pct. Other names appeared under
Frankford Yellow Jackets20 1.000 Defunct (1931)
New York Yankees*20 1.000 Defunct (1949)
Pottsville Maroons20 1.000 Defunct (1928)
Boston Yanks10 1.000 Defunct (1948)
Buffalo Bills*10 1.000 Defunct (1949), unrelated to current NFL team with this name
Dallas Texans10 1.000 Defunct (1952), does not count AFL's Dallas Texans, which are now the Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Buccaneers10 1.000 Defunct (1926)
Oorang Indians10 1.000 Defunct (1923)
Rock Island Independents10 1.000 Defunct (1925)
All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks10 1.000 Defunct (1921)
Akron Pros311.700 Defunct (1926)
Buffalo Bisons111.500 Buffalo All-Americans (1920–1923), Defunct (1929)
Canton Bulldogs111.500 Defunct (1926)
Cleveland Bulldogs11 .500 Defunct (1927)
Dayton Triangles11 .500 Defunct (1929)
Kansas City Cowboys11 .500 Kansas City Blues (1924), Defunct (1926)
Milwaukee Badgers11 .500 Defunct (1926)
Brooklyn Lions01 .000 Defunct (1926)
Chicago Tigers01 .000 Defunct (1920)
Detroit Heralds01 .000 Defunct (1920)
New York Yanks01 .000 Defunct (1950)
Providence Steam Roller01 .000 Defunct (1931)
Racine Legion11 .500 Defunct (1926)
Toledo Maroons01 .000 Defunct (1923)
Brooklyn Dodgers*02 .000 Defunct (1949)
Chicago Hornets*02 .000 Chicago Rockets (1946–1948), Defunct (1949)
Columbus Panhandles02 .000 Defunct (1926)
Detroit Panthers02 .000 Defunct (1926)
Hammond Pros02 .000 Defunct (1926)
Rochester Jeffersons02 .000 Defunct (1925)
Los Angeles Dons*03 .000 Defunct (1949)

*All-America Football Conference team.

Most frequent match-ups among active teams

Count Matchup Record Years played
22 Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Lions, 12–9–1 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1984, 1986, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2023
20 Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions Bears, 12–8 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021
12 Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears Bears, 7–3–2 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933
11 Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Cowboys, 9–2 1968, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023
5 Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Vikings, 3–2 1969, 1988, 1995, 2016, 2017
5 Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins Dolphins, 3–2 1973, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2011
4 Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys Cowboys, 4–0 1967, 1976, 1983, 1985
4 Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs Tie, 2–2 1971, 1981, 1987, 1996

Game MVPs

Since 1989, informal and sometimes lighthearted Man of the Match/MVP awards have been issued by the networks broadcasting the respective games. Running back Emmitt Smith holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVPs with five (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2002), followed by Tony Romo with four (2006, 2007, 2009, 2013). Among players not from Detroit or Dallas, Josh Allen, Drew Brees and Brett Favre each hold three. Voting on the respective awards is typically done informally by the announcing crew, and criteria are loose. Noteworthy statistical accomplishments weigh heavily, and "group" awards are not uncommon. The announcement of the winner(s), and the presentation of the award is normally done immediately following the game, during post-game network coverage.

Turkey Leg Award (CBS & Fox)

In 1989, John Madden of CBS awarded the first "Turkey Leg Award",[43] for the game's most valuable player. Pursuant to its name, it was an actual cooked turkey leg, and players typically took a celebratory bite out of the leg for the cameras during post-game interviews. Reggie White of the Eagles was the first recipient. The gesture was seen mostly as an amusing gimmick tied to the holiday and relating to Madden's famous multi-legged turkeys and turduckens.[44] Since then, however, the award has gained notoriety. Madden brought the award to Fox in 1994, and it continued through 2001.

Because of the loose and informal nature of the award, at times it has been awarded to multiple players. On one occasion (1994) it was given to players from both teams.

Later Fox awards

When John Madden left Fox after 2001, the network introduced a new award starting in 2002, named the Galloping Gobbler. It was represented by a small silver figurine of a cartoonish turkey wearing a football helmet[45] striking a Heisman-like pose.[46] Much like Cleatus and Digger, the original Galloping Gobbler trophy reflected Fox's irreverent mascots, and went through several iterations.[45] Unimpressed by its tackiness, Emmitt Smith famously threw the 2002 award into a trash can.[45]

In 2007, the kitschy statuette was replaced with a bronze-colored statue of a nondescript turkey holding a football.[46] In 2011, the trophies were discarded altogether and replaced by a commemorative plaque. Unlike the aforementioned "Turkey Leg Award", the Galloping Gobbler was normally awarded to only one player annually,[47] however in 2016, co-winners were honored.[48]

For 2017, the Galloping Gobbler was permanently retired, and replaced with the "Game Ball", a stylish, ornate football-shaped trophy, reminiscent of the tradition where game-used balls are typically awarded to players of the game. For 2019–2020 (coinciding with Fox's new partnership with WWE SmackDown), the "Game Ball" was replaced by a WWE Championship Belt. The "Game Ball" returned in 2021.

All-Iron Award (CBS)

When the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, they introduced their own award, the "All-Iron Award", which is, suitably enough, a small silver iron, a reference to Phil Simms' All-Iron team for toughness. The All-Iron winner also received a skillet of blackberry cobbler made by Simms' mother.

Through 2006, the trophy was only awarded to one player annually. Occasionally, it was issued as a "group award". In 2008, Simms stated it was "too close to call" and named four players to the trophy; he then gave the award to several people every year until 2013, after which he reverted to a single MVP in 2014.

Simms was removed from the broadcast booth for the 2017 season in favor of Tony Romo, who did not carry on the tradition. Instead, the "Chevrolet Player of the Game" award was extended to CBS' Thanksgiving Day game. As in CBS' regular Sunday afternoon NFL coverage as well as Fox's regular NFL coverage, Chevrolet will donate money in the player's name to the United Way if the game is played in Detroit, or the Salvation Army if the Thanksgiving Day game is played in Dallas.

For the 2019 season, CBS revived the Turkey Leg Award, awarding it to Josh Allen.[49]

Prime time games (NFLN & NBC)

During the time when NFL Network held the broadcast rights the prime time game, from 2007 to 2011 they gave out the "Pudding Pie Award" for MVPs. The award was an actual pie. In 2009, NFL Network gave Brandon Marshall a pumpkin pie rather than the chocolate pudding pie of the previous two years.

NBC, which carried Thanksgiving afternoon games through 1997, did not issue an MVP award during that time. NBC began broadcasting the Thanksgiving prime time game in 2012, at which point the MVP award was added. From 2012 to 2015, the NBC award was referred to as the "Madden Thanksgiving Player-of-the-Game", honoring John Madden (who announced NBC games from 2006 to 2008).[50][51] The award then became the Sunday Night Football on Thanksgiving Night Player of the Game in 2016. It is typically awarded to multiple players on the winning team.[52] In the first few years, the award specifically went to players on both offense and defense, but in recent years, there have been no quotas for each phase. The winning players are presented with ceremonial game balls and, as a gesture to Madden, a cooked turkey leg.[53] The 2021 award also featured a turkey leg statuette in addition to legs prepared and seasoned by local chef (and former NBC star) Emeril Lagasse.

Madden Player of the Game (2022–present)

As part of the new "John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration" branding in 2022, the league announced that each network will now select a "Madden Player of the Game", with the NFL Foundation donating $10,000 in each winner's name to a youth or high school football program of their choice.[1] Turkey legs continue to be awarded to the players of the game in homage to Madden,[54] except for 2023 when Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was informed that there was none available.[55]

Complete list

See also

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "NFL honors John Madden with Thanksgiving Day commemoration". nfl.com. National Football League. November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
    2. "Navy vs Michigan st (NJ)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
    3. "1885 Football Team". University of colonge, Bentley Historical Library.
    4. "1887 Football Team". University of colonge , Bentley Historical Library.
    5. "1888 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
    6. "1889 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
    7. "1891 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
    8. "Football on Thanksgiving: A Brief But Comprehensive History". Midwest Sports Fans. November 23, 2011.
    9. "Lions Thanksgiving Day Tradition" (PDF). 2019 Detroit Lions Media Guide. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
    10. Jaworowski, Matt (November 24, 2016). "Timeline: How football became a Thanksgiving tradition". WIVB-TV. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
    11. See also: Pennsylvania Keystoners
    12. Scales, Kristi (November 26, 2014). "Why Do the Cowboys Play on Thanksgiving Day?". 5PointsBlue.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
    13. McManaman, Bob (November 22, 2017). "Cardinals, not Cowboys, could have been an NFL Thanksgiving Day staple". AZCentral.com. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
    14. "NFL Thanksgiving Games: History, traditions and best moments". ESPN. November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
    15. 1 2 "Ravens-Steelers game moved from Thanksgiving to Sunday at 1:15 p.m. ET on NBC". NFL.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
    16. Eatman, Nick (November 26, 2013). "Cowboys To Wear Blue Jerseys At Home Thursday". DallasCowboys.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
    17. Prunty, Brenden (November 23, 2019). "The Great Thanksgiving Game That Wasn't". Retrieved November 25, 2019.
    18. Richardson, Anwar S. (November 24, 2011). "Stars of Detroit Lions' past see similarities to 1962 Thanksgiving showdown with Packers". MLive. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
    19. NFL Films (November 23, 2016). "#6 "Thanksgiving Day Massacre" Lions Dominate Packers | Top 10 Thanksgiving Day Moments". YouTube. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
    20. Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions – November 25th, 1976 | Pro-Football-Reference.com
    21. Sabato, Nick (November 23, 2022). "O.J. Simpson opens up about record-breaking game in Bills' 1976 Thanksgiving loss". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
    22. Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys – November 25th, 1993 | Pro-Football-Reference.com
    23. Hayes, David (12 November 2019). "Full List of Winless NFL Teams Since 1920". Retrieved 26 November 2019.
    24. "NFL Thanksgiving Day Football Preview: Games, TV Schedule, Point Spreads, Picks and Predictions". Midwestsportsfans.com. 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
    25. Silver, Michael (2011-11-21). "NFL Thanksgiving games are appealing, for once – NFL – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
    26. "Mike Tomlin, Steelers facing fine, possible loss of draft pick". CBSSports.com. 2013-12-01. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
    27. "Mike Tomlin Fined $100k for Interfence During Jacoby Jones Kickoff Return | Ravens 101 | Sports Media 101". web.archive.org. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
    28. Pergament, Alan (November 24, 2022). "CBS' Nantz, Romo make '23 Seconds' game extra special for anxious Bills fans". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
    29. Schwab, Kevin (November 24, 2022). "Josh Allen and Bills put together a 21-second drive in final seconds to beat Lions". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
    30. Getzenberg, Alaina; Woodyard, Eric (2022-11-24). "Josh Allen leads last-second drive; Bills move ahead in AFC East race". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
    31. Slevin, Peter (November 27, 2008). "In Detroit, Tradition Takes a Hike; Annual Thanksgiving Football Game Offers Little Joy for Troubled City". Washington Post. p. A1.
    32. Lage, Larry (November 28, 2008). "Once-beaten Titans dominate winless Lions 47–10". Associated Press.
    33. Niyo, John (31 January 2009). "Turkey game safe ... for now". Detroit Free Press. p. C6.
    34. Kowalski, Tom (22 March 2009). "Lions president says NFL will not take away team's Thanksgiving Day game". mlive.com.
    35. Horn, Barry (10 March 2009). "Networks vie for Dallas Cowboys' home opener". Dallas Morning News.
    36. King, Peter (1 December 2008). "The best football writer of our time". si.com.
    37. "NFL announces Week 13 flex plan". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
    38. Best, Neil (December 14, 2011). "NFL renews lucrative TV deals". Newsday. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
    39. 1 2 Patra, Kevin (23 April 2014). "2014 NFL Schedule: No AFC teams on Thanksgiving Day". NFL.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
    40. Brinson, Will (19 April 2018). "2018 NFL Thanksgiving Schedule, how to watch, stream: Three great division rivalry games, including Bears-Lions on CBS". CBS Sports. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
    41. "NFL Black Friday game coming to Amazon in 2023". cnbc. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
    42. Bergman, Jeremy (April 20, 2017). "Previewing the 2017 Thanksgiving Day slate". National Football League. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
    43. Charles Taudin (23 November 2022). "Qu'est-ce que le Turkey Leg Award ?" (in French). The Free Agent..
    44. Imnam, Cam (November 23, 2016). "John Madden talks Thanksgiving, his health, Raiders rise, 49ers fall, NFL TV ratings". The Mercury News. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
    45. 1 2 3 "Galloping Gobbler: An evolution of greatness". Laces Out – Fox Blog. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
    46. 1 2 "NFL Thanksgiving Day Football History, Trivia, and Fun Facts". Sports Geekery. November 24, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
    47. "NFL Thanksgiving Day Football History, Trivia, and Fun Facts – Sports Geekery". 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
    48. Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott win Galloping Gobbler after Thanksgiving win vs. Washington
    49. Filipowski, Nick (November 28, 2019). Josh Allen said he dreamed of eating a turkey leg on Thanksgiving after a win. Today, he lived it (...) WIVB-TV via Twitter. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
    50. "Easton-P'burg TV coverage won't crash gate". The Morning Call. November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012. As an added bonus, John Madden will return to NBC to open the broadcast and will give his first "Madden Thanksgiving Player of the-Game" award
    51. "Thanksgiving Night Game on NBC New England Patriots vs. New York Jets" (Press release). NBCUniversal. November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
    52. 2016 Steelers-Colts Game Broadcast on NBC, Post-game coverage: November 24, 2016
    53. Turkey Leg Award is the best NFL football on Thanksgiving tradition. SB Nation (November 24, 2016). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
    54. McBride, Joseph (2022-11-24). "NFL stars to receive strange gifts for Thanksgiving games as tradition continues". mirror. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
    55. "No turkey leg for Jordan Love after Packers beat Lions on Thanksgiving ruffles fans' feathers". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-26.

    Bibliography

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