The National Football League is rumoured to be exploring the possibility of adding a ‘Thanksgiving Eve’ game to its regular season schedule, potentially as early as the upcoming 2026 season.

According to multiple sources, league officials are reportedly considering a game on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, which in 2026 would fall on November 25th, creating an additional national broadcast window across the lucrative holiday week ahead of the traditional Thanksgiving Day triple-header.

The move would extend the run of NFL games across the holiday period that already includes the three Thanksgiving Day match-ups and the Black Friday game introduced in 2023 as part of the league’s streaming partnership with Amazon Prime Video.

The expansion idea reflects the league’s strategy of maximising television exposure during one of its most successful viewing windows. Thanksgiving games consistently rank among the most-watched regular season broadcasts, with the 2025 triple-header averaging 44.7m viewers and the Chiefs–Cowboys match-up drawing 57.2m a regular season record.

If implemented, the additional contest would give the NFL at least seven days of games within a nine-day stretch spanning the Sunday before Thanksgiving through the Monday that follows. A Wednesday game would present logistical challenges, however, as any teams involved would likely require a bye week beforehand to allow sufficient preparation and recovery time, as midweek games remain rare in the modern NFL calendar.

Despite those hurdles, the concept is attractive to broadcasters. Stand-alone games around major holidays have proven highly valuable media properties, and the league is expected to explore selling the Thanksgiving Eve broadcast rights as another premium television package if the proposal moves forward.