The 19 NFL Teams With The Best (And Worst) Records On Thanksgiving

The NFL has been playing games on Thanksgiving since its inception in 1920, and some teams have fared better than others when it comes to the contests that have unfolded during the holiday.

These are the NFL teams with the best and worst records while playing on Thanksgiving

The Jaguars are the only NFL team that has never played on Thanksgiving, while the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Panthers have only been tapped for a single showdown.

There are some other franchises that have only had that opportunity a handful of times, and in my pursuit for a solid sample size, I’m only going to look at teams that have played on that date more than five times.

That leaves us with 19 franchises, and we’re going to kick things off by taking a look at the ones that have done the best.

The NFL teams with the highest winning percentage on Thanksgiving

Philadelphia Eagles: .857 (6-1)

Contrary to popular belief, Ben Franklin never actively lobbied for the turkey to be named America’s national bird over the bald eagle, although he did write a letter where he referred to the former as the “more respectable” option.

The team that is named after the animal that got the nod has performed better than any other on Turkey Day, and the Eagles were undefeated on Thanksgiving until having their perfect record spoiled against the Lions in 2015.

Minnesota Vikings: .778 (7-2)

All but one of the games the Vikings have played on Thanksgiving have been on the road, but they’ve nonetheless done pretty well for themselves. Minnesota has beaten the Cowboys every time they’ve faced off in Dallas and still has a 3-2 edge on a Lions team that’s responsible for both of their losses.

Tennessee Titans: .714 (5-2)

The Titans lost their first two Thanksgiving games when they were still known as the Houston Oilers, but they’re currently riding a five-game winning streak.

Miami Dolphins: .625 (5-3)

The Dolphins initially had a 5-1 record on Thanksgiving, but things have been trending in the wrong direction for a Miami team that’s in the midst of a two-game skid with losses to the Cowboys in 2011 and the Packers in 2024.

Dallas Cowboys: .605 (34-22-1)

It’s only natural that America’s Team has fared pretty well on Thanksgiving, and the team that trails only the Lions when it comes to the most games played on that day has most recently bounced back from a three-game skid with three consecutive victories.

Buffalo Bills: .591 (6-4-1)

Buffalo may be known for its chicken wings, but the Bills have earned the right to chomp down on a turkey leg more often than not and are also riding a three-game winning streak on Thanksgiving.

San Francisco 49ers: .583 (3-2-1)

The 49ers lost the one and only Thanksgiving game they played at home when they hosted the Seahawks in 2014, but they got revenge after heading up to Seattle in 2023 to improve to 3-1-1 on the road.

Chicago Bears: .553 (20-16-2)

The Bears ended up very close to .500 on Thanksgiving after losing four straight games between 1997 and 2014, but they rebounded with a four-game winning streak that included three straight victories over the Lions before Detroit snapped the run in 2024.

The NFL teams that have gone .500 on Thanksgiving

Kansas City Chiefs: 5-5

It appears the NFL is attempting to position the Chiefs as its Christmas team, and Kansas City has gone 3-2 in contests played on December 25th heading into their showdown with the Broncos in 2025. However, they’re even as far as wins and losses are concerned on Thanksgiving.

Las Vegas Raiders: 4-4

The Raiders went 3-4 on Thanksgiving during their time in Oakland, but they improved to .500 with a win over the Cowboys in their first Turkey Day game since moving to Las Vegas.

New England Patriots: 3-3

The Patriots have not managed to harness the magic of a quintessentially American holiday. New England never lost in the three games where Tom Brady was their quarterback, but those victories are canceled out by a trio of losses.

New York Giants: .531 (7-7-3)

Both of the teams that call MetLife Stadium home have been the definition of average on Thanksgiving, although the Giants have only ended up in this section of the list courtesy of an ongoing five-game losing streak.

New York Jets: 4-4

The Jets won the first three games they played on Thanksgiving, but they’ve gone 1-4 in their five games on that day since 1972 (a victory over the Bengals in 2010 was the lone win).

The NFL teams with the lowest winning percentage on Thanksgiving

Pittsburgh Steelers: .250 (2-6)

The Steelers haven’t had much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving, as they’ve only managed to get two wins in the eight games they’ve played: over the Chicago Cardinals in 1950 and the Colts in 2016.

Arizona Cardinals: .304 (6-15-2)

The Cardinals and the Bears played each other on Thanksgiving every single year between 1922 and 1933 at a time when both teams were based in Chicago before that tradition came to an end.

The franchise that is now based in Arizona has not gotten a single win since leaving The Windy City and firmly has the longest active losing streak on Thanksgiving thanks to an eight-game skid that’s responsible for a drought stretching back to 1948.

Washington Commanders: .308 (4-9)

The Commanders have faced off against the Cowboys in 11 of the 13 games they’ve played on Thanksgiving, and Dallas has posted a 9-2 record in those contests. Washington has had a bit more success against other opponents, as their other two wins came over the Lions and the Giants.

Denver Broncos: .364 (4-7)

The Broncos dug themselves into a hole here by losing their first four games on Thanksgiving, and they’ve gone 4-3 since getting their first win on the holiday by beating the Lions in 1974.

Green Bay Packers: .432 (15-20-2)

You might think a team that is named after a meatpacking company would be able to hold its own on Thanksgiving, but that has not been the case for Green Bay over the years.

All but two of those games have been on the road, and they’ve primarily faced off against the Lions while posting a 9-12-1 record against Detroit.

Detroit Lions: .452 (37-45-2)

Speaking of which…

No team has played more games on Thanksgiving than the Lions, as Detroit has been the NFL’s Thanksgiving team since ushering in an annual tradition against the Bears in 1934. However, it hasn’t necessarily worked out in their favor, as they have a losing record since playing on the holiday for the first time a little over 90 years ago.