NFL Thanksgiving Schedule 2026: Teams, Kickoff Times & How to Watch

Which NFL teams are playing on Thanksgiving day this year?

The Lions will host another Thanksgiving game. | Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Thanksgiving in 2026 is about family, food, football and rivalries.

This year’s slate of Thanksgiving games was announced and reported before the full release of the 2026 NFL schedule on Thursday. Since 2006, the NFL has held three games on Thanksgiving, and that continues once again this year with an enticing trio of matchups.

The Lions and Cowboys annually host a game on Thanksgiving. With the schedule now out, here’s a look at the four other teams that will join them in the battles for the turducken.

NFL 2026 Thanksgiving schedule: Times, matchups and how to watch

In addition to the three Thanksgiving games, the NFL will also host its first ever game on Thanksgiving eve. The Rams will host the Packers at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Netflix.

Time (ET)	Matchup	How to Watch
1 p.m.	Bears at Lions	CBS
4:30 p.m.	Eagles at Cowboys	Fox
8:20 p.m.	Chiefs at Bills	NBC

Bears at Lions

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
When: Thursday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m. ET

For the second time in the past three years, the Lions will host the Bears on Thanksgiving day. This will be coach Ben Johnson’s second time coming to Detroit since he left the Lions. Johnson went 0-2 against the Lions in his first year as the Bears coach, but won the division. All four NFC North teams finished 2025 with winning records, so this game could hold massive implications on the playoffs and division race.

Eagles at Cowboys

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
When: Thursday, Nov. 26, 4:30 p.m. ET

For the third time, the Eagles and Cowboys will face off on Thanksgiving day. The Eagles should remain a playoff contender in 2026 while the Cowboys are looking to rebound after missing the postseason in 2025. The Eagles and Cowboys split their series in 2025, with each team earning a win over the other by four points or less during the season. If both teams deliver another close game in November, it could certainly go down as a Thanksgiving classic.

Chiefs at Bills

Where: New Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
When: Thursday, Nov. 26, 8:20 p.m. ET

The best quarterback rivalry in the league is coming to Thanksgiving in prime time as the Chiefs and Bills are reportedly set to face off, per Jordan Schultz. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have gone head-to-head 10 times in their careers so far, and have split those games 5-5. Allen, of course, has yet to defeat Mahomes in the playoffs, but has gone 5-1 against him in the regular season. Expect another close game between the MVP-winning quarterbacks, as both players look to help their teams secure spots in the postseason.

What is each team's record on Thanksgiving?

The Lions fell to 38-46-2 on Thanksgiving day last year after losing to the Packers 31-24 last November. Detroit has played either the Bears or Packers in each of their last three Thanksgiving games, and will continue that streak in 2026 as they face Chicago once again. The Bears are 20-16-2 all time on Thanksgiving, and hold an 11-9 edge against the Lions on turkey day. The two teams last faced off on Thanksgiving in 2024, when the Lions won 23-20 after the Bears’ poor clock management at the end of the game cost them the win, resulting in coach Matt Eberflus’s firing.

The Cowboys are 35-22-1 on turkey day, and are coming off an exciting 31-28 win over the Chiefs last season. They will face the Eagles, who are playing on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2015, when they lost to the Lions as Matthew Stafford threw five touchdowns, three of which went to Calvin Johnson. The Eagles are 6-1 on Thanksgiving, including 2-0 against the Cowboys.

The Chiefs are slated to play on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive year, and looking to rebound from their 2025 loss to the Bills in the regular season, as well as their defeat against Dallas on Thanksgiving last year. They are 5-6 on the holiday. The Bills are 6-4-1, and have won their last three Thanksgiving games. They will look to extend that streak, as well as their streak of regular season victories against the Chiefs.

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