NFL exploring potential Thanksgiving Eve game this season: report

The NFL is looking to adhd to its already expansive schedule.

In caller years, the NFL has docket games connected Black Friday, Christmas, and the Friday aft the archetypal regular-season crippled of the twelvemonth portion besides increasing its planetary footprint.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly dipping into Thanksgiving week arsenic the league is exploring the anticipation of playing a crippled connected Thanksgiving Eve and could instrumentality a crippled arsenic aboriginal arsenic this season, according to ESPN’s reporting.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl crippled betwixt the AFC and the NFC astatine the Moscone Center South successful San Francisco, California, connected Feb. 3, 2026. The NFC won 66–52. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

"Every offseason we look for caller opportunities to champion service our fans successful the schedule-making process," the league said Wednesday successful a statement. "As Commissioner (Roger) Goodell has said, Thanksgiving and NFL shot person go synonymous and, fixed the continued maturation of instrumentality involvement astir our games connected Thanksgiving and Black Friday, looking for further opportunities tied to this peculiar vacation is breathtaking for america to explore."

Should the NFL adhd different crippled to their Thanksgiving week slate, they anticipation to capitalize connected the occurrence of Black Friday games. The Chicago Bears played the Philadelphia Eagles this past play connected Black Friday, and the crippled averaged 16.3 cardinal viewers connected Amazon Prime Video.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, greets fans during the archetypal fractional of the NFL Pro Bowl shot crippled betwixt the NFC and the AFC successful San Francisco, California, connected Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Thanksgiving Day games person besides shown to bring successful a batch of viewership for the NFL, arsenic they are among the most-watched games during the regular season. Last year's slate averaged 44.7 cardinal viewers, surpassing the 2024 people of 34.5 million.

If the league goes up with a Thanksgiving Eve game, the teams apt would person a bye the erstwhile week, arsenic playing a crippled connected a Wednesday is highly unusual. There person lone been 4 NFL games connected a Wednesday successful the sport’s modern era.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during his authorities of the NFL quality league up of the Super Bowl LX shot crippled betwixt the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots successful San Jose, California, connected Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Thanksgiving Eve would springiness the league 9 large broadcast windows to fill. There besides would beryllium the spotlight games successful the aboriginal and late-afternoon Sunday windows, Sunday nighttime and Monday night.

The regular-season docket is not expected to beryllium released until the archetypal oregon 2nd week of May. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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