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NFL Thanksgiving games have become synonymous with the holiday itself. It's an American tradition. Almost everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving, especially sports fans, associate watching football as a part of the annual holiday. The NFL games that take place on that day are often as important as the holiday classics, such as turkey, pumpkin pie, parades, and family gatherings.
The NFL has featured games on Thanksgiving day every year since it's inception in 1920. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have traditionally hosted home games on the holiday. The Lions began hosting Thanksgiving games in 1934 and have continued every year since, while the Cowboys joined them in 1966 as an annual event.
In the 2006 NFL season, a third prime-time game was added to the yearly calendar of holiday football. While the games themselves, especially the two in Dallas and Detroit, have clearly become a November staple, they also feature several traditions.
Here are three such examples from NFL history.
#1 - Throwback Uniforms
Throwback uniforms have become a tradition for these games. While it's not mandatory and has included a few exceptions, most teams playing in the event have worn either a throwback or alternate uniform every year since the 2001 NFL season.
The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions started the tradition in 2001 and the visiting teams quickly followed the trend. The throwback uniform tradition has also extended into the entire slate of games this week each season. Almost all teams have worn them during their games this week since 2002.
#2 - The Turkey Leg Award
The Turkey Leg Award was invented by the legendary John Madden. He first handed it out in 1989 to the Player of the Game during his broadcast assignment. It then evolved into his iconic six-legged Turducken, creating an opportunity to hand it out to multiple players.
A literal leg from the holiday bird will be handed out to the most outstanding players and they will take a bite for the broadcast in celebration. It was handed out every year until 2001 and was again later revived in 2019.
#3 - Charity in the spirit of Thanksgiving
In the spirit of a holiday focused on giving and being thankful, the NFL has made charity a priority on Thanksgiving. The Player of the Game in the contest hosted by the Detroit Lions will have a donation made in their name to The United Way, sponsored by Chevrolet. For the Dallas Cowboys game, the same tradition is used as a donation to the Salvation Army.
