When the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys clashed on Thanksgiving Day 2025, the football world stopped. CBS averaged a jaw-dropping 57.2 million viewers for that game, making it the most-watched regular-season contest in NFL history. Now, Fox is hoping lightning strikes twice—and they've got the perfect matchup to try.
At their upfront presentation Monday night at New York City Center, Fox revealed that the 2026 Thanksgiving Day game will feature the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The announcement was made by NFL on Fox personalities Erin Andrews, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski, adding an extra layer of star power to the news.
This NFC East showdown carries serious weight. The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving an incredible 59 times, boasting a 35-22-1 record on the holiday. Yet despite facing division rivals in four of their last five Turkey Day games, Dallas hasn't squared off against Philadelphia on Thanksgiving since 2014. That drought ends this year.
Both teams enter the game with something to prove. The Eagles are the defending NFC East champions, coming off an 11-7 season. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are hungry to bounce back after a disappointing 7-9-1 campaign. For Dallas, a statement win on Thanksgiving would be the perfect way to reset the narrative.
Tom Brady will be in the booth as color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, bringing his championship pedigree to the broadcast. It's a fitting pairing for a game that could have major playoff implications.
Fox knows a thing or two about Thanksgiving Day success. Last year, the Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions game averaged 47.7 million viewers across Fox and Tubi, making it the network's most-watched regular-season game ever and the most-watched early Thanksgiving game in history. If the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry can come close to those numbers—or the record-setting Chiefs-Cowboys game—Fox will have plenty to be thankful for.
While the full 2026 NFL schedule remains under wraps, we already know three marquee games on the Cowboys' slate: this Thanksgiving clash with Philadelphia, plus a Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants. For fans of the star, the holiday season just got a lot more interesting.