Which NFL Team Has Won the Most Thanksgiving Games?

Like turkey and cranberry sauce, the NFL is an integral part of the Thanksgiving Day experience and has been for over a century.

Here, we take a quick look at how football became a Turkey Day tradition and which NFL teams have played and won the most games on the holiday.

When did football on Thanksgiving become a thing?

Football on Thanksgiving is a time-honored tradition that actually dates back to before the National Football League was created.

The first reported Turkey Day game was in 1876, just 14 years after Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. That game was a collegiate affair between Yale and Princeton, which led to other Ivy League colleges holding games on Thanksgiving. 

The NFL got in on the action during its inaugural season in 1920 with six games on the slate. 

Which NFL team has played the most Thanksgiving games?

For several decades, the NFL had just two Thanksgiving games on the schedule but added a third in primetime in 2006, perhaps due to a little uproar about the same two teams hosting every year for several decades. And you know who we’re talking about.

The Detroit Lions began playing home games on Thanksgiving in 1934 and have done so every year since, minus 1939-1944 due to World War II. 

The Dallas Cowboys started their tradition of hosting Thanksgiving football in 1966 and have only missed playing on the holiday twice since.

Both the Cowboys and Lions have hosted their own Turkey Day game every year since 1978. Detroit holds the record for the most games played on Thanksgiving with 83 and typically fills in the early timeslot, while Dallas, second on the list with 55 appearances, takes the mid-afternoon slot.

Which NFL team has won the most Thanksgiving Day games?

Since the Lions and Cowboys always play on the holiday, it’s no surprise they hold the records for the most Thanksgiving victories.

Detroit leads the way with 37 wins, with Dallas in second with 32. The Cowboys, however, own the better winning percentage at .591 with a record of 32-22-1. The Lions currently sit at .458 with a mark of 37-44-2. 

Here’s a look at how every current NFL franchise has fared on Thanksgiving Day. It should be noted that AFL games are included in these totals.