Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward (35) intercepts a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

For the 20th year in a row, the NFL will play three games on Thanksgiving. For the 48th year in a row, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys will each play in one of them.

The league's tradition of football on Thanksgiving dates back to 1920. Back then, the NFL was still called the American Professional Football Association, and the date of Thanksgiving hadn't yet been written into federal law.

In the more than 100 years since – and excepting the 1941 through 1944 period during World War II – there has been at least one football game on Thanksgiving annually.

The Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, with the exception of the 1939-1944 seasons due to the Great Depression and World War II. The Cowboys adopted a similar tradition in 1966 and have also played on the holiday every year since, with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977.

Each team will host yet another Thanksgiving game in 2025.

This year's prime-time Thanksgiving game will be a divisional clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, rounding out the three-headed slate on the national holiday.

Thanksgiving NFL games 2025

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

  • Location: Detroit, Michigan
  • Venue: Ford Field
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Fox

The Lions and Packers open the Thanksgiving slate in 2025 with their second divisional meeting of the year. Last time around, in Week 1, Green Bay emerged victorious, 27-13, at home. In Week 13, Detroit will host the Packers looking for revenge.

This year is Green Bay's third straight playing on Thanksgiving. The Packers beat the Lions on the road in 2023 and took down the Dolphins at home in prime time last year. When they take the field for another Thanksgiving, the Packers will pass the Bears for third-most games on the national holiday behind the Lions and Cowboys.

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Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs

  • Location: Arlington, Texas
  • Venue: AT&T Stadium
  • Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel: CBS

Dallas will play its 58th Thanksgiving game and 48th in a row in 2025. For the first time since 2021, Dallas' opponent won't be from their division. Two wins over the Giants in 2022 and 2024 book-ended a win over the Commanders in 2023, but the Cowboys are welcoming the reigning AFC champs to town this Thanksgiving.

Both teams will be coming off tough Week 12 matchups as they enter their holiday face-off. The Cowboys host the Eagles – the team holding the NFC's No. 1 seed through 11 weeks – one week before Thanksgiving. The Chiefs host the Colts – the team that held the AFC's No. 1 seed as recently as Week 10 before their Week 11 bye.

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Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

  • Location: Baltimore, Maryland
  • Venue: M&T Bank Stadium
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • Channel: NBC

The Ravens and Bengals will face off for the first time this season – and first of two times in three weeks – on Thanksgiving. Baltimore is riding a four-game win streak into a Week 12 matchup with the Jets before taking on their divisional rival. The Ravens could hold the top spot in the AFC North by their Week 13 prime-time meeting with Cincinnati.

The Bengals might be getting quarterback Joe Burrow back in time for this Thanksgiving game. Burrow has missed every game since Week 2 while dealing with a turf toe injury, but Cincinnati opened his 21-day practice window on Nov. 10: 17 days before the clash with the Ravens.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What NFL games are on Thanksgiving? Teams, matchups for every game

Reporting by Jack McKessy, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect