The National Football League is exploring the addition of a game on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving during the 2026 regular season, according to league sources.[1][2]

ESPN reported on October 29, 2024, that the league is discussing the possibility, which if approved would expand the holiday schedule around Thanksgiving to include contests on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.[1][3]

The NFL has aired three games each Thanksgiving Day since 2006, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys hosting annually as part of the tradition. The league added a Black Friday game to its schedule starting in 2022.[4][5]

Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who played for the San Diego Chargers from 2005 to 2009 and the Buffalo Bills from 2010 to 2012, commented on the proposal during an appearance on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" podcast.[3][6]

Merriman cautioned that increasing the number of games risks diluting the product's quality, drawing a comparison to the NBA's longer schedule, and emphasized the physical toll on players without adjustments such as an additional bye week.[3]

The NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season in 2021, with each team playing at least one game on holidays including Thanksgiving.[4][5]

Sources

1. ESPN, "NFL sources say league is discussing possibility of game night before Thanksgiving in 2026", October 29, 2024, https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/42359277/nfl-sources-say-league-discussing-possibility-game-night-thanksgiving-2026
2. Yahoo Sports, "Report: NFL considering game night before Thanksgiving in 2026", October 29, 2024, https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/report-nfl-considering-game-night-before-thanksgiving-in-2026-202120746.html
3. Fox News, "NFL game night before Thanksgiving is 'too much football,' ex-NFL star warns", October 31, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nfl-game-night-before-thanksgiving-too-much-football-ex-nfl-star-warns.amp
4. NFL.com, "NFL announces 17-game regular-season schedule for 2021", May 19, 2021, https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-17-game-regular-season-schedule-for-2021-0ap3000001223420
5. Pro-Football-Reference.com, "NFL Thanksgiving Games History", accessed November 1, 2024, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/thanksgiving.htm
6. OutKick, "Shawne Merriman On NFL's Potential Thanksgiving Eve Game", October 31, 2024, https://www.outkick.com/culture/shawne-merriman-nfl-thanksgiving-eve-game-too-much-dan-dakich