Why do the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play on NFL Thanksgiving? Explained

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have become staples on the annual NFL Thanksgiving schedule. The Lions get the early game, and the Cowboys always follow later in the afternoon. This has become such a tradition that it is easy to never question why these two teams get these slots.

But let's dive into that topic and look at why both NFL teams receive this annual honor. To do that, we have to go all the way back to 1934 and start with the Lions.

Why the Lions play on NFL Thanksgiving

The story begins with the Lions franchise. The organization began in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans and moved to Detroit in 1934. Research shows that owner George A. Richards was seeking a marketing ploy to really put his team into the spotlight.

Thanksgiving football had been played before, but it had never been seen as a major event. Richards changed that because he was able to broadcast the game over NBC's radio network. This made the game a true must-see, or must-hear, event, and the tradition began in a big way.

Just imagine, it is 1934, and you have to sit around with family on Thanksgiving. You are a huge football fan, who is just seeking some entertainment on a cold day in Michigan. Richards' plan worked so well that the tradition stuck, and the Lions have played on Thanksgiving ever since, barring an interruption, such as World War II.

The Lions started the tradition and have been assured a spot on the holiday because of that great idea.

Why the Cowboys play on NFL Thanksgiving

The Cowboys have also become a staple on Thanksgiving and played their first game on the holiday back in 1966. Ownership simply decided to play on the day because of the lack of entertainment options out there, which makes a ton of sense. The league can demand major money from advertisers, and the Cowboys were thrust into the national spotlight early in their existence.

It was a win-win for all sides, and the Cowboys simply copied the great idea initially had by the Lions. The franchise only came into existence in 1960, and playing on Thanksgiving was a great way for them to eventually become "America's Team."

But the team was booted at one point in the 1970s, only to finally land in the full-time slot permanently, starting in 1978. Since then, both the Lions and Cowboys have hosted games on the holiday. The third game on the schedule, with a variety of opponents, began in 2006.

So how do both the Lions and the Cowboys fare on the holiday? Detroit has played in 81 Thanksgiving games and has an all-time record of 37-42-2. Meanwhile, Dallas has gone 31-21-1 in 53 games on the holiday.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are next in line with 36 Thanksgiving games apiece, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are the only franchise to never play on the holiday. Chicago was also the first NFL team to play on the holiday way back in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys. The event did not become a nationwide phenomenon until 1934.

The Lions and the Cowboys have been in this slot permanently since 1978, and there is no reason to believe that will ever change. The Lions have had a winless season since then and have not done much winning in decades, yet they have never been booted from their annual showcase.

The Cowboys have not been elite recently either, but there is no way Jerry Jones would ever give up his slot. Thus, NFL fans can expect to see the Lions and Cowboys on Thanksgiving for years to come.