Sports
Detroit Lions 2026 Thanksgiving Day Matchup Revealed
The Lions will play a division rival for the fifth time in six years on Thanksgiving in 2026.
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions announced Thursday they will host division rival Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 2026.
The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Ford Field. It will be broadcast on Fox.
This will be the third time in six years (2021, 2024, 2026) the Lions will play the Bears on Thanksgiving. It is also the fifth time they will play a division rival on Thanksgiving during that timeframe (Green Bay Packers 2023, 2025).
Find out what's happening in Detroitfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Only the Buffalo Bills in 2022 have been the only non-division opponent to play in Detroit on the holiday during head coach Dan Campbell's tenure.
The NFL has already announced two other Lions games for the upcoming season - week two at Buffalo and week 10 vs New England in Germany. The league will announce the full schedule on Thursday evening.
Find out what's happening in Detroitfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Lions are coming off a disappointing 2025 that culminated in a 9-8 record with the team missing the playoffs.
The Bears are the defending NFC North champs coming off an 11-6 season but were 0-2 against the Lions. One of those losses included a 52-21 loss at Ford Field in Week 2.
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