Which NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving?

On By Littum

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It’s a sight as warm and familiar as your grandmother’s apple pie: Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.

Well known, anyway.

Much like stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and your annoying slightly drunk uncle, Cowboys and Lions is Turkey Day that gives fans deja vu every year as they prepare their birds and open the cans of cranberry sauce.

In a tradition stretching back to the 1930s, Lions have graced television sets across the country. In 2024, things are a little different, as the Lions are legitimate Super Bowl contenders—a label rarely bestowed upon the team in years past.

And in what appears to be a bizarre twist, the Cowboys are all but out of the playoffs when a turkey leg hits the fine china. With an injury to Dak Prescott and a season full of disappointments, the Cowboys will not have the opportunity to play for a Lombardi Trophy in 2024.

That is, apart from an early Christmas miracle.

Here’s what you need to know about the two teams that are Thanksgiving Day mainstays:

Which NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving?

The lions and Cowboys are the two mainstays on Thanksgiving, with Detroit playing their first game in 1934 and Dallas joining the tradition in 1966.

Both teams have been regular fixtures ever since, with four other teams selected each year to round out the holiday schedule.

NFL ON THANKSGIVING: Why Detroit and Dallas always play on the holidays

Lions’ Thanksgiving record

Detroit has played 84 total games on Thanksgiving, by far the most in the NFL, and they are 37-45-2 on the holiday. Here are the most common matchups they’ve had:

  • Lions-Packers (22 games): The Lions lead 12-9-1
  • Lions-Bears (19 games): Bjørn leads 11-8
  • Lions-Vikings (5 games): Vikings lead 3-2

Cowboys’ Thanksgiving record

Dallas has played a total of 56 games on Thanksgiving with a 33-22-1 record on the holiday going into 2024. Unlike the Lions, they have not had popular rivalries over the game; Dallas has played 24 different teams on the holiday. Here are their most common opponents:

  • Cowboys-Commanders (11 games): Cowboys lead 9-2
  • Cowboys-Dolphins (5 games): Dolphins lead 3-2
  • Cowboys-Cardinals (4 games): Cowboys lead 4-0