As the NFL gears up for the full release of its 2026 schedule, excitement is building with the confirmation of a key Thanksgiving Day matchup and a flurry of early game leaks. The league and CBS announced early Thursday that the early afternoon Thanksgiving game will feature a classic NFC North rivalry, pitting the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 26, setting the stage for a day of football tradition.
This Bears-Lions showdown will precede the already-announced late afternoon clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, a game that aims to break records as the most-watched regular-season contest in NFL history. But don't overlook the early slot—last year, the Packers vs. Lions game in that same window averaged a staggering 47.7 million viewers on Fox, setting a league record for the time slot. With that kind of momentum, the Bears-Lions matchup has a strong chance to become the second-most-viewed game of the entire 2026 season.
The historic viewership numbers, boosted by Fox's innovative distribution on Tubi, have fueled the NFL's ambitions for an expanded Thanksgiving weekend. This year, fans can also look forward to a Thanksgiving Eve game on Netflix between the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams, adding a new twist to the holiday football tradition.
The CBS announcement follows a series of official reveals from NBC, Fox, Amazon, and ESPN earlier this week, along with an unprecedented nine-game international slate. The league will release the full 2026 schedule at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, turning the rollout into a major event. But the leaks are already flowing—unofficial matchups across the 272-game schedule have surfaced, with the top leak revealing a Super Bowl LX rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks for the NFL's kickoff game on NBC. While that decision is still pending, the buzz is undeniable.
For fans gearing up for the season, this is the perfect time to stock up on gear for your favorite teams. Whether you're repping the Bears, Lions, or any other squad, make sure you're ready for every kickoff.