NFL Faces Backlash For Having Thanksgiving Eve Game In 2026
Clearly, the NFL isn't satisfied with its traditional Thanksgiving schedule.
The NFL used to have three games on Thanksgiving Day before letting the rest of its schedule play out on Sunday and Monday. In 2023, however, the league added a Black Friday game to its schedule as part of an agreement with Amazon Prime Video.
Three years later, there were rumblings about the NFL having a Thanksgiving Eve game. Well, those plans have been finalized for this fall.
The NFL confirmed on Wednesday that the Green Bay Packers will visit the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 25. This game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be streamed exclusively on Netflix.
Fans made it known that they're not thrilled about a game being played on Thanksgiving Eve.
"The NFL's greed knows no boundaries," one fan declared. "Thanksgiving week alone, you're going to have the NFL on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. And that's not even bringing up the CFB regular season finales with rivalries on Friday+Saturday. They're killing the golden goose."
"Thanksgiving eve?! So there will be a game the day before and after Thanksgiving? Lol," a second fan said.
"I thought they care about player safety.............. Not pleased that the NFL has scheduled this game on U.S Thanksgiving Eve," a social media user wrote.
"Soon we're gonna have Raiders Falcons Veterans Day Eve presented by Fubo & Sling," another fan sarcastically replied.
Is this the wrong move by the NFL?
Before the NFL announced the Packers-Rams game on Wednesday, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo called out the league for being greedy.
"They're exploring one on Thanksgiving Eve? The NFL wants to play a game on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Half the games you give us on Thanksgiving stink anyway because you can't flex it and we're stuck with Denver-Kansas City with freakin' no Mahomes! So now we're gonna explore playing a game on Thanksgiving Eve," Russo said, via Awful Announcing. "That's an NBA night! I'm in bed at 8 o'clock, I worked all week, and I worked on this stupid show with him. And then I gotta sit there, and I gotta go home and watch a regular-season NFL game with guys that played on Sunday? I mean, that's a little rough. I know they're only exploring it, but can the NFL leave a holy day alone? How much football can we take? Let the NBA have Thanksgiving Eve."
It's safe to say the NFL isn't fazed by all the criticism online.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 1:29 PM.