Trending Now - NFL Considers Adding Thanksgiving Eve Game This Season

WHO:

NFL (National Football League)

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

Adam Schefter, ESPN reporter

WHAT:

The NFL is exploring the possibility of playing a game on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, 2026.

The NFL has played Black Friday games since the 2023 season.

Thanksgiving Day games averaged 44.7 million viewers in 2025, surpassing 34.5 million viewers in 2024.

The Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on Black Friday averaged 16.3 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video.

There have only been four NFL games on a Wednesday in the sport’s modern era.

WHERE:

The NFL Pro Bowl game took place at the Moscone Center South in San Francisco, California, on February 3, 2026.

WHEN:

The potential Thanksgiving Eve game is scheduled for November 25, 2026.

The NFL Pro Bowl game occurred on February 3, 2026.

The NFL regular-season schedule is expected to be released in the first or second week of May 2026.

WHY:

The NFL aims to capitalize on the growing fan interest around games on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

The league is looking for new opportunities to enhance the schedule-making process.

HOW:

The NFL is considering adding a game to its Thanksgiving week slate to create a nine-day stretch of NFL games.

(UPDATED March 11, 2026 23:09 UTC)

The NFL is currently exploring the possibility of adding a game on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, 2026, as part of its efforts to capitalize on the growing fan interest around Thanksgiving and Black Friday games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced this potential addition, which would create a nine-day stretch of NFL games, following the success of Thanksgiving Day games that averaged 44.7 million viewers in 2025. The league has been expanding its schedule, having already introduced Black Friday games since the 2023 season, with the recent Bears versus Eagles matchup drawing 16.3 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video.