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The NFL is reportedly looking to add another game to the holiday menu for fans come Thanksgiving time.
The league is exploring the possibility of adding a Thanksgiving night game to the schedule for the 2026 season, ESPN reported Tuesday. If it becomes final, NFL fans will be treated to games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.
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San Diego Chargers linebacker (56) Shawne Merriman against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on September 20, 2009. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Former NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” Thursday and warned the NFL about possibly diluting its product.
“I will caution this. The NBA, I think the season is just so long, there are so many games that it gets diluted. I don’t think it will ever get to the point where there is a 20-plus game season with the NFL for two seasons,” Merriman said. “Physically, I don’t think guys’ bodies can handle 2-3 extra games during the year unless there’s another bye week. They need to include another bye week if they plan to do that.
DaRon Bland #26 Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys takes a bite of a turkey leg after a win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
AN NFL GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING IS OFFICIALLY ‘TOO MUCH FOOTBALL’
“The thing I would caution the NFL about is if you start giving the fans too much, yes, you can make more money, but you’re diluting the product. There has to be some kind of balance between the two.”
The NFL continued to be a ratings boom during the 2025 season. A Week 14 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers on FOX drew 28 million viewers.
Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers takes a bite of a turkey leg after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 27, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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While the NFL remains popular, the league will also have to face the challenge of making sure players stay as healthy as they can to keep the product as good as it has been.
