The NFL has once again stretched its holiday schedule, this time sparking outrage by adding a Thanksgiving Eve game to the lineup. The league confirmed Wednesday that the Green Bay Packers will face the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET and streaming exclusively on Netflix.
This move marks the first time the NFL has scheduled a game on the night before Thanksgiving, and fans are not holding back their frustration. Social media erupted with criticism, accusing the league of prioritizing profits over tradition and player welfare.
Fan Backlash Erupts
One fan declared, “The NFL’s greed knows no boundaries. Thanksgiving week alone, you’re going to have the NFL on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. And that’s not even bringing up the CFB regular season finales with rivalries on Friday+Saturday. They’re killing the golden goose.”
Another user questioned the logic: “Thanksgiving eve?! So there will be a game the day before and after Thanksgiving? Lol.” A third fan sarcastically predicted, “Soon we’re gonna have Raiders Falcons Veterans Day Eve presented by Fubo & Sling.”
Even before the official announcement, radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo lambasted the league. “They’re exploring one on Thanksgiving Eve? The NFL wants to play a game on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Half the games you give us on Thanksgiving stink anyway because you can’t flex it and we’re stuck with Denver-Kansas City with freakin’ no Mahomes! So now we’re gonna explore playing a game on Thanksgiving Eve,” Russo said, via Awful Announcing. “That’s an NBA night! I’m in bed at 8 o’clock, I worked all week, and I worked on this stupid show with him. And then I gotta sit there, and I gotta go home and watch a regular-season NFL game with guys that played on Sunday? I mean, that’s a little rough. I know they’re only exploring it, but can the NFL leave a holy day alone? How much football can we take? Let the NBA have Thanksgiving Eve.”
A Pattern of Expansion
The move follows a trend of the NFL expanding its holiday footprint. In 2023, the league added a Black Friday game to its schedule as part of an agreement with Amazon Prime Video. Now, just three years later, it’s adding a Wednesday night game to the mix, creating a five-game Thanksgiving week slate that includes Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday contests.
Critics argue this over-saturation risks diminishing the specialness of the Thanksgiving Day tradition and could strain players who already deal with a grueling schedule. The Netflix streaming deal for this game has also drawn scrutiny, as it marks another step in the league’s push toward digital platforms.
Player Safety Concerns
Amid the backlash, several fans pointed to the league’s stated commitment to player safety. One social media user wrote, “I thought they care about player safety………….. Not pleased that the NFL has scheduled this game on U.S Thanksgiving Eve.” The short turnaround from Sunday games to a Wednesday night contest raises questions about recovery time and injury risk.
Despite the outcry, the NFL appears unfazed. The league has not indicated any plans to reverse course, and the Packers-Rams matchup is set to proceed as scheduled. For now, fans will have to get used to the idea of football on yet another night of the week.
