Week 13 in the NFL brings us three Thanksgiving Day games.
The first Thanksgiving Day game will take place at 12:30 pm EST on CBS between the Bears and Lions.
Next, the second Thanksgiving Day game will take place at 4:30 pm EST on FOX between the Giants and Cowboys.
The third Thanksgiving Day game will take place at 8:20 pm EST on NBC between the Dolphins and Packers.
If it feels like it has been forever since the NFL has played games on Thanksgiving, it is because they have been on Thanksgiving for a long time.
Below, we take a look at the very first NFL Thanksgiving Day game and when it became tradition for the Lions and Cowboys to play every Thanksgiving Day.
When Was The First NFL Thanksgiving Day Game?
The first NFL Thanksgiving Day game was played in 1920. It was part of the first season of what would later become the National Football League. The game featured the Chicago Bears (then known as the Decatur Staleys) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals). The Bears won the game 7-6. This began the tradition for the NFL to schedule games on Thanksgiving Day.
When Did It Become Tradition For The Lions & Cowboys To Play On Thanksgiving?
The tradition of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys playing on Thanksgiving Day began in the 1960s.
The Lions began playing on Thanksgiving Day in 1934. The first Thanksgiving game for the Lions was started by owner, George A. Richards. His intention was to attract attention to the team. It became an annual tradition for the Lions to host a game on Thanksgiving Day. This has continued to this day.
Dallas started playing on Thanksgiving in 1966. Jerry Jones wanted to begin a new tradition for the Cowboys and help garner attention for the Cowboys. They were scheduled to play on Thanksgiving against the Cleveland Browns. It was such a success that the Cowboys have hosted a game every Thanksgiving since then.
Since 1966, Detroit and Dallas play on each Thanksgiving Day. An additional game has been added to primetime as the NFL grew.
