The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Tradition Explained
Quick answer: The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game tradition began in 1966, when the NFL wanted a second holiday matchup and Dallas volunteered to host it. After the league gave the Thanksgiving hosting slot to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975 and 1977, the Cowboys returned as permanent hosts starting in 1978 and have played on Thanksgiving every year since. The 2026 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles will be Dallas’ 59th Thanksgiving Day game.
Every Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game traces back to a fairly simple business decision. In 1966, Dallas was a young, still-unproven franchise looking for national attention, and hosting a holiday game on network television was one of the few ways to get it. The bet worked. Six decades later, the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving slot is one of the most consistent fixtures on the NFL calendar, and the 2026 edition arrives with a division rival and a throwback uniform on top of it.
Here’s the full story: how the tradition started, what happened during the two years Dallas didn’t host, the all-time Thanksgiving record, a few games that defined the series, and everything worth knowing about the 2026 game against Philadelphia.
Why Do the Dallas Cowboys Play on Thanksgiving?
How the Tradition Started in 1966
Detroit had hosted the NFL’s Thanksgiving game since 1934, but by the mid-1960s the league wanted a second one. Most teams weren’t interested in giving up a home date for a game with uncertain ticket sales, so Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm volunteered Dallas, then still a young expansion franchise looking to build a national following.
On November 24, 1966, Dallas hosted the Cleveland Browns at the Cotton Bowl and won 26–14 in front of roughly 80,000 fans, a result confirmed by ESPN’s history of NFL Thanksgiving football. The Cowboys kept the assignment the following year, and the year after that, and the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game quickly became part of how the rest of the country got to know the franchise — years before “America’s Team” became a nickname anyone actually used.
Why Thanksgiving Became a Cowboys Tradition
The reasoning was straightforward: a Thursday afternoon game aired to a national audience with no other NFL games competing for attention, and that kind of exposure was hard for a struggling team to buy any other way. Schramm is often credited with the marketing instinct behind the move, and the record backs that up — Dallas volunteered, the league accepted, and the visibility paid off. What’s less supported is the idea that Schramm engineered the entire holiday tradition as a grand strategy from day one. He made a smart bet on a slow news day. The tradition’s staying power came from the games themselves, and that’s a big part of why the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game still draws a national audience year after year.
What Happened in 1975 and 1977?
Dallas didn’t skip Thanksgiving by choice. Commissioner Pete Rozelle moved the hosting duties to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975 and 1977 as an experiment to see whether the franchise could build a Thanksgiving audience of its own. St. Louis lost both games decisively, and the ratings didn’t hold up the way Dallas’ had. Rozelle eventually asked Tex Schramm whether the Cowboys would take the game back, and Schramm later recalled agreeing only on the condition that Dallas could keep the Thanksgiving slot permanently — an arrangement that has held ever since.
One detail that often gets lost: Dallas actually returned to Thanksgiving in 1976, beating the Cardinals 19–14, before sitting out again in 1977. So the full gap is two missed years — 1975 and 1977 — with one comeback season sandwiched in between, and uninterrupted hosting from 1978 forward.
How Long Have the Cowboys Played on Thanksgiving?
The Cowboys first played on Thanksgiving in 1966. Counting the two seasons Dallas didn’t host, that’s six decades of history and 58 previous Thanksgiving Day appearances heading into 2026 — and the Cowboys have been the home team in every single one of them.
For readers who want the fuller story of the franchise beyond the holiday schedule, see this Dallas Cowboys history and heritage guide, which covers the team’s early seasons and championship years in more depth.
What Is the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Record?
Dallas enters the 2026 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game with a 35–22–1 all-time Thanksgiving record and a four-game winning streak on the holiday. The most recent of those wins came in 2025, a 31–28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that drew an average of 57.23 million viewers — the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history, according to the Cowboys’ official announcement of the 2026 Thanksgiving matchup.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| First Cowboys Thanksgiving game | 1966 vs. Cleveland Browns, won 26–14 |
| 1975 exception | St. Louis Cardinals hosted instead |
| 1977 exception | St. Louis Cardinals hosted instead |
| Continuous hosting since | 1978 |
| All-time Thanksgiving record (entering 2026) | 35–22–1 |
| 2026 Thanksgiving opponent | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2026 Thanksgiving appearance | 59th in franchise history |
A record like this moves every year, which is part of why any given Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game draws more attention than an ordinary regular-season result — fans have been tracking this number for close to six decades.
Which Cowboys Thanksgiving Games Became Part of NFL History?
The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving history has produced very different kinds of memorable games. Some were defined by dominant performances; others came down to a single unforgettable play. Two of the 58 prior Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving games have earned a permanent spot in NFL highlight reels.
1974: Clint Longley’s Thanksgiving Comeback
Dallas trailed Washington 16–3 in the third quarter when starting quarterback Roger Staubach left the game with a head injury after a hard hit. In came Clint Longley, a rookie out of Abilene Christian who had never taken a regular-season snap. Longley led two scoring drives to pull the Cowboys within 23–17, then, with under a minute remaining, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to win the game 24–23. He finished 11 of 20 for 203 yards and two touchdowns in his first career appearance — a debut memorable enough that Longley carried the nickname “The Mad Bomber” for the rest of his career.
1993: The Leon Lett Snow Game
An overnight snowstorm blanketed Texas Stadium before Dallas hosted Miami in 1993. With 15 seconds left and the Cowboys clinging to a one-point lead, Miami’s Pete Stoyanovich lined up a 41-yard field goal that Dallas defensive lineman Jimmie Jones blocked cleanly. The ball skidded across the frozen turf in what looked like a game-ending play — until Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett slid toward the loose ball and accidentally kicked it forward, giving Miami new life. Miami recovered the loose ball, and Stoyanovich converted a second field-goal attempt with three seconds remaining for a 16–14 win. This Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game remains one of the most replayed mistakes in NFL history.
The Thanksgiving record also includes some far more one-sided results. Dallas’ 51–7 win over Seattle in 1980 remains its largest Thanksgiving victory by point margin, and Tony Romo’s five-touchdown performance against Tampa Bay in 2006 remains one of the sharpest offensive showings the holiday slot has produced.
Why Does the Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Feel Different From a Regular NFL Game?
The mid-afternoon kickoff lands right in the middle of the holiday for most of the country, so the broadcast tends to run alongside dinner prep before becoming the main event once the meal is over. Decades of repetition have made a regular-season football game feel like part of the day itself for a lot of households — though plenty of others are watching Detroit’s earlier game instead, or skipping football altogether. That built-in attention is part of what makes the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game different from an ordinary Week 12 matchup.
The Cowboys, Lions, and Thanksgiving Football
Detroit’s Thanksgiving tradition predates Dallas by more than three decades, dating to 1934 with a wartime gap from 1939 to 1944. The Cowboys joined the holiday lineup in 1966, and the NFL later added a third Thanksgiving game to fill out the current tripleheader. Detroit and Dallas have been the league’s two long-standing Thanksgiving hosts ever since — the Lions typically kick off first, and the Cowboys usually close out the afternoon window before a prime-time game finishes the schedule.
What Should Fans Wear to a Cowboys Thanksgiving Watch Party?
Comfort tends to matter more than fans expect for a game that runs alongside a multi-hour meal. Classic navy and silver work for almost any setting, and a simple graphic tee or lightweight hoodie covers most indoor watch parties without much thought. For outdoor tailgates around Arlington, a heavier layer can make sense in late November, even though the game itself is played inside AT&T Stadium’s retractable roof. Families doing coordinated photos tend to stick with matching colors rather than matching graphics, and anyone leaning into the 2026 throwback theme can pair a retro-style piece with plain basics instead of trying to replicate the game jersey exactly.
Choosing a Thanksgiving Game Day Look
- At-home watch party: a comfortable tee or crewneck sweatshirt in team colors
- Outdoor tailgate: a layered hoodie or quarter-zip for warmth, since Arlington’s late-November air can turn cool even though the stadium itself is enclosed
- Family photos: coordinated navy, silver, and white rather than identical graphics
- Retro theme: a vintage-inspired star graphic paired with plain everyday layers
- Stadium visit: breathable layers that work indoors, plus something warmer for the walk in from the parking lot
At TeeMam, we focus on unofficial fan apparel designed for casual game-day wear — comfortable layers that work well for a Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving watch party without trying to replace the history that makes the game worth watching in the first place. Readers looking for more options can explore different Dallas Cowboys fan apparel ideas for game day and beyond.
What Is the 2026 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Game?
- Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
- Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT
- Network: FOX
- Significance: the 59th Thanksgiving Day game in Cowboys history, and only the third-ever Cowboys–Eagles meeting on the holiday
Philadelphia hasn’t played on Thanksgiving in Dallas since 2014, when the Eagles won 33–10, and the only earlier meeting was a 27–0 Philadelphia win in 1989 — a game that became known as the “Bounty Bowl.” The Eagles have won both previous Thanksgiving meetings against Dallas, so the Cowboys head into the 2026 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game still looking for their first Thanksgiving win over their most heated division rival.
Fans planning to attend can start by reviewing how to plan Cowboys tickets before choosing seats, since holiday demand and pricing behave differently than a standard regular-season date.
What Uniform Will Dallas Wear on Thanksgiving?
According to the Cowboys’ official 2026 uniform schedule announcement, Dallas will wear its classic 1960s-style throwback jersey — navy body, white shoulder panels, and the white throwback helmet — for the 2026 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game against Philadelphia. The look draws on the visual style of the Cowboys’ earliest Thanksgiving years, connecting the 2026 game directly back to the era when the tradition began. If you’re building a Thanksgiving outfit around the broadcast, that’s the look you’ll actually see on the field.
How Can You Experience a Cowboys Thanksgiving Game in Dallas?
Most fans will watch from home, and that’s a perfectly good way to experience the tradition. But attending a Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game in person adds a few wrinkles a normal Sunday trip to AT&T Stadium doesn’t: holiday traffic patterns around Arlington, earlier-than-usual parking lot arrivals, and a pregame tailgate atmosphere built around turkey instead of typical gameday food. Anyone visiting Arlington for the first time can also review planning an AT&T Stadium visit for arrival timing, gate logistics, and what’s worth doing inside the stadium before kickoff.
What Makes the Cowboys Thanksgiving Tradition Last?
The tradition has lasted because history and repetition kept reinforcing each other. Dallas joined the Thanksgiving lineup in 1966, returned as a permanent host in 1978 after the Cardinals’ two unsuccessful Thanksgiving appearances, and has remained part of the holiday schedule ever since. For fans, that consistency is what turns a single NFL game into a recognizable part of the holiday itself. In 2026, a division rival and a throwback uniform add another chapter to a Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game tradition that now spans 59 appearances.
Sources
- Cowboys to host Eagles on Thanksgiving Day in 2026 — DallasCowboys.com, official announcement of the 2026 Thanksgiving matchup, all-time record, and viewership figures
- Dallas Cowboys reveal uniform schedule for 2026 season — DallasCowboys.com, confirmation of the classic 1960s throwback uniform for the Thanksgiving game
- NFL Thanksgiving games: Traditions, best moments, and history — ESPN, background on the 1966 origin and the 1975/1977 Cardinals exceptions
Hi, I’m Olivia Bennett, a fashion and lifestyle writer at TeeMam with 6 years of experience creating content about fashion, outfits, and lifestyle trends. I enjoy sharing practical style ideas for everyday wear, game days, holidays, and special occasions, helping readers find looks that feel comfortable, fun, and uniquely their own.
