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The NFL is looking to add to its already expansive schedule.
In recent years, the NFL has scheduled games on Black Friday, Christmas and the Friday after the first regular season game of the year, while also expanding its international footprint.
Commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly diving into Thanksgiving week as the league explores the possibility of playing a game on Thanksgiving night and could implement a game as early as this season, according to ESPN’s reporting.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl at Moscone Center South in San Francisco on Feb. 3, 2026. The NFC won, 66-52. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
“Each offseason, we look for new opportunities to best serve our fans in the planning process,” the league said Wednesday in a statement. “As Commissioner (Roger) Goodell has said, Thanksgiving and NFL football have become synonymous, and given the continued growth of fan interest around our games on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it’s exciting for us to explore additional opportunities tied to this special holiday.”
Should the NFL add another game to its Thanksgiving week, it hopes to capitalize on the success of Black Friday games. The Chicago Bears played the Philadelphia Eagles last season on Black Friday, and the game averaged 16.3 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, greets fans during the first half of the NFL Pro Bowl in San Francisco on Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Thanksgiving Day games have also brought in a lot of viewership for the NFL. They are among the most watched games of the regular season. Last year’s list averaged 44.7 million viewers, surpassing the 2024 mark of 34.5 million.
If the league goes ahead with a Thanksgiving night game, the teams would likely have a bye the previous week, as it is unusual to play a game on a Wednesday. Only four NFL games have been played on a Wednesday in the sport’s modern era.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks Feb. 2, 2026, during his State of the NFL news conference in San Jose, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Thanksgiving Eve would give the league nine major broadcast windows to fill. There would also be the spotlight games in the early and late afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night Sunday windows.
The regular season schedule is not expected to be released until the first or second week of May.
