NFL considering expanding Thanksgiving games with this lineup

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The NFL said it is considering expanding football games around Thanksgiving – adding a game the day before the holiday as it continues to explore additional broadcast windows.

The possibility of a Thanksgiving Eve NFL game was first reported by ESPN.

NFL considering expanding Thanksgiving games

What they're saying:

"Every offseason we look for new opportunities to best serve our fans in the schedule-making 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, looking for additional opportunities tied to this special holiday is exciting for us to explore."

A detail shot of a John Madden Thanksgiving banner in the end zone prior to an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Credit: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

If the league goes ahead with a Thanksgiving Eve game, the teams likely would have a bye the previous week.

Big picture view:

Thanksgiving Eve would give the league nine major broadcast windows to fill. There also would be the spotlight games in the early and late-afternoon Sunday windows, Sunday night and Monday night.

Will there be an NFL game the day before Thanksgiving?

What's next:

The regular-season schedule is not expected to be released until the first or second week of May. 

Team owners and networks will have a chance to make their final pitches during league meetings in Phoenix later this month.

Thanksgiving games among most-watched during NFL season

The backstory:

The three Thanksgiving Day games are among the most watched during the regular season. 

Last year's slate averaged 44.7 million viewers, surpassing the 2024 mark of 34.5 million.

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The late-afternoon game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys on CBS averaged 57.2 million, making it the most-watched NFL regular-season game on record. 

The league also played on Black Friday the past three seasons and has seen steady audience growth. Last year's game between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles on Amazon Prime Video averaged 16.3 million.