
The NFL has confirmed a Bears vs. Lions matchup for Thanksgiving Day 2026, set for 1 p.m. ET. This game will precede a highly anticipated Eagles vs. Cowboys game, which aims to break viewership records.
In the final approach to the full release of the 2026 NFL schedule, a key part of the Thanksgiving schedule is now confirmed, while a flurry of early leaks of game matchups is intensifying.
The league and CBS said early Thursday that the early afternoon Thanksgiving Day game will feature a classic NFC North division matchup between the Bears and Lions. That game, set for 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 26, will precede the already-announced late afternoon game between the Eagles and Cowboys.
While that latter game will chase a record as the most-watched regular-season contest in NFL history, the Bears-Lions broadcast has a very strong chance to be the second-most-viewed game of the entire 2026 season. That early afternoon Thanksgiving Day game in 2025, played between the Packers and Lions on Fox, held that designation last year, averaging 47.7 million viewers and also set a league record for that window.
That historic total, boosted in part by Foxâs distribution of the game on Tubi, played a material role in expanding the leagueâs ambitions across Thanksgiving weekendâsomething now manifesting with anew Thanksgiving Eve game on Netflix between the Packers and Rams.
The Bears-Lions game, as a result, holds a critical position in the overall NFL schedule.
The CBS game reveal on Wednesday morning followed similar announcements earlier this week by NBC, Fox, , and , as well as . The NFL at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.
The Thanksgiving Day schedule for 2026 includes a Bears vs. Lions game at 1 p.m. ET and an Eagles vs. Cowboys game later in the afternoon.
The 2025 Thanksgiving Day game between the Packers and Lions averaged 47.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched game for that time slot.
A new Thanksgiving Eve game will feature the Packers against the Rams, expanding the NFL's Thanksgiving weekend offerings.

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While those official game announcements have all been part of the NFLâs ongoing efforts to turn the schedule release into another tentpole event, leaks of other matchups across the 272-game slate were easily accessible Wednesday and early Thursday.
Topping the list of those leaks is the reveal of the leagueâs kickoff game on NBC featuring a Super Bowl LX rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks. While New England was one of the potential choices for the primetime showcase following the Seahawksâ dominant victory in February, that decision is still something of a surprise on multiple fronts. Among the factors surrounding that choice:
That kickoff game shifted to Wed., Sept. 9 due to the international game in Australia the following day.
Separate reports, meanwhile, pointed to the Thanksgiving Day schedule finishing with a primetime clash between top AFC rivals Kansas City and Buffalo.
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