Which NFL Teams Have Played on Thanksgiving the Most?

The 2024 slate of Thanksgiving games in the NFL has thrown up some familiar rivalries. America’s favorite holiday will see the Detroit Lions visit Chicago to play the Bears, while the Cowboys travel to New York to take on the Giants.

We are going to take a closer look at how may times each team has played on Thanksgiving over the years. We will also find out which teams are about as welcome on the holiday as a vegan turkey on a meat-lover’s table. Plus, we look at which matchups have occurred the most often on the big day.

History of Thanksgiving NFL Games

The Detroit Lions started the Thanksgiving game tradition all the way back in 1934. The franchise had just moved from Portsmouth, Ohio to Detroit, and were struggling to attract crowds in their new city. The Thanksgiving game allowed the Lions to take center stage on the holiday, and they have continued the tradition ever since apart from during the war years.

The Cowboys joined the Thanksgiving party by getting permission to host their own turkey games in 1966, and from that date there were two games every Thanksgiving. That continued up until 2006, when a third game was added to the Thanksgiving slate. While the games in Detroit and Dallas are fixed the third game is open to any NFL teams, although the NFL tries to find a compelling match-up for this slot, often featuring marketable teams and teams with competitive rivalries.

Which Teams Play Most Often on Thanksgiving?

Many people will associate the Dallas Cowboys with Thanksgiving turkey, but in fact they are not the most regular NFL guests on the fourth Thursday of November. In fact the Detroit Lions have played more often on Thanksgiving than any other NFL team, with 83 appearances.

Of course the Lions have been going strong since 1934 as compared to the Cowboys’ entry to the league in 1960, so they had quite a head start on their rivals. Detroit have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934 – with the exception of the war years from 1939 to ’44 – while the Cowboys have played every year from 1966 apart from 1975 and ’77. And of course as we know both will extend their consecutive streaks this year.

The Packers beat out the Bears for third spot in Thanksgiving games, although there is not much between these two storied franchises. Arizona may seem like a surprisingly warm entry in 5th, abut remember that the Cardinals’ time in St Louis and Chicago is also taken into account.

Teams Least Likely to Play on Thanksgiving

We have dealt with our usual Thanksgiving guests from the NFL, so what about those teams most likely to get the cold shoulder at this time of year? Venerable organizations like the Pittsburgh Steelers (8) and the Philadelphia Eagles (7) don’t get an invite to the party all that often. And despite decades of success, the New England Patriots have only played a paltry six times – even though the original Thanksgiving meal took place in Massachusetts!

However, there are four teams who have only been given a seat at the NFL’s Thanksgiving table once in their histories. Those franchises picking up scraps from that table are the Panthers, Bengals, Jaguars and Buccaneers, each of which have played only one time.

Here’s the full list of NFL teams to have played on Thanksgiving, so you can see how much love your own team gets on the holiday:

Rank	Team	Number of Thanksgiving Games
1	Detroit Lions	83
2	Dallas Cowboys	56
3	Green Bay Packers	34
4	Chicago Bears	32
5	Arizona Cardinals	18
6	New York Giants	14
7	Washington Commanders	13
8	Buffalo Bills	11
8	Denver Broncos	11
10	Kansas City Chiefs	10
11	Minnesota Vikings	9
12	Las Vegas Raiders	8
12	New York Jets	8
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	8
15	Philadelphia Eagles	7
15	Miami Dolphins	7
15	Tennessee Titans	7
18	San Francisco 49ers	6
18	New England Patriots	6
20	Los Angeles Chargers	5
21	Indianapolis Colts	4
21	New Orleans Saints	4
21	Atlanta Falcons	4
21	Los Angeles Rams	4
25	Baltimore Ravens	3
25	Cleveland Browns	3
25	Houston Texans	3
28	Seattle Seahawks	2
29	Carolina Panthers	1
29	Cincinnati Bengals	1
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	1
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1

Of course some of the discrepancies are down to the fact that the Lions and Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving these days, meaning there are fewer spots for teams from different divisions or conferences to claim.

What are the Most Common Thanksgiving Matchups?

Throughout NFL history, certain team matchups have become traditional fixtures on Thanksgiving Day. Traditions are important, and the NFL certainly is not afraid to give the people what they want and have come to expect. The most frequent Thanksgiving Day games between the same two teams are:

1. Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers: 21 Times

This matchup has occurred 21 times on Thanksgiving, making it the most common pairing in the NFL’s history. The tradition began in 1951 and has been a recurring fixture over the decades. Detroit’s record as the most consistent Thanksgiving team and their long-standing divisional rivalry with the Packers has made this a natural choice over the years.

2. Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears: 18 Times

These teams have faced each other 18 times on Thanksgiving. Their first Thanksgiving meeting was in 1934, marking the beginning of the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving game tradition. Similar to the Packers, the Bears are also divisional rivals of Detroit and are another outfit with a huge tradition in the NFL.

3. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders: 10 Times

Formerly known as the Redskins, the Commanders have played the Cowboys 10 times on Thanksgiving. Their first Thanksgiving matchup was in 1968, and the rivalry has been featured multiple times since. In fact the team from Washington have only played on Thanksgiving with their old ‘Redskins’ moniker, so we still await an official Commanders appearance.

These recurring matchups have become crucial to the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day tradition, giving fans that warm glow of familiarity after their turkey feast.

Every NFL Team’s Record on Thanksgiving Day

As long-suffering fans of the Lions could probably tell you, while Detroit have played most times on Thanksgiving Day, they have a losing record on the day with losses outnumbering wins by 7. The sheer volume of games means they have more wins than anyone else, but the Cowboys have a much more impressive win percentage of 58.9%.

Of course some teams that have only played on Thanksgiving a time or two can claim a 100% win records: hello Ravens, Panthers and Texans! Of those teams to have played on turkey day 10 or more times nobody can match the ‘Boys, but the Vikings have a very impressive 77.8% win rate from their 9 appearances. The Eagles’ record of 6 wins out of 7 is worth a mention too. The Cards take the booby prize here, with a feeble 26.1% win rate.

Team	Wins	Losses	Ties	Games	Win %
Detroit Lions	37	44	2	83	44.6
Dallas Cowboys	33	22	1	56	58.9
Chicago Bears	20	15	2	37	54.1
Green Bay Packers	14	20	2	36	38.9
Arizona Cardinals	6	15	2	23	26.1
New York Giants	7	6	3	16	43.8
Washington Commanders	4	8	0	12	33.3
Buffalo Bills	6	4	1	11	54.5
Denver Broncos	4	7	0	11	36.4
Kansas City Chiefs	5	5	0	10	50.0
Minnesota Vikings	7	2	0	9	77.8
Las Vegas Raiders	4	4	0	8	50.0
New York Jets	4	4	0	8	50.0
Pittsburgh Steelers	2	6	0	8	25.0
Philadelphia Eagles	6	1	0	7	85.7
Miami Dolphins	5	2	0	7	71.4
Tennessee Titans	5	2	0	7	71.4
San Francisco 49ers	3	2	1	6	58.3
New England Patriots	3	3	0	6	50.0
Los Angeles Chargers	3	1	1	5	70.0
Indianapolis Colts	2	1	1	4	62.5
New Orleans Saints	3	1	0	4	75.0
Atlanta Falcons	1	3	0	4	25.0
Baltimore Ravens	2	0	0	2	100.0
Cleveland Browns	0	3	0	3	0.0
Los Angeles Rams	3	1	0	4	75.0
Houston Texans	2	0	0	2	100.0
Seattle Seahawks	2	2	0	4	50.0
Carolina Panthers	1	0	0	1	100.0
Cincinnati Bengals	0	1	0	1	0.0
Jacksonville Jaguars	0	1	0	1	0.0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	0	1	0	1	0.0

Note: The records above are based on available data up to November 2024.