Thanksgiving Day offers a unique meaning to Detroit Lions fans. The team always plays on the holiday, often against a conference or divisional rival.
This year, that Thanksgiving game might be the conclusion to a ridiculous three game stretch set to kick off with the Lions' international game in Munich.
It was revealed by FOX that the network would be hosting a triple-header on November 15, with the first game of that trio being Detroit's host game in Munich. That's a Week 10 contest, and considered a home game. Of course, it's just a home game in name, and a nearly eight hour flight in actuality.
If the Lions play Week 10 overseas, and presumably again in Week 11, then that means they'll be playing three games in 12 days, ending with their Thanksgiving day bout. That's a tough go for any team, but especially for one that's gone so far as to cancel several portions of their typical offseason camp programs to ensure fresh legs ahead of the preseason and regular season.
Ridiculous
— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) May 11, 2026
Without a week 11 bye (Unlikely per Rod Wood) the Lions will have to play 3 games in a 12 day span with international travel thrown in #OnePride https://t.co/sp1Vix5otg
Lions' 4th-place schedule can only go so far against latest scheduling blunder
The NFL has had this issue for several years - too many games in too short a period of time for teams that are just coming off an international contest.
The biggest example has yet to come, with a Week 1 contest between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams set to take place in Melbourne, Australia. Players and coaches are already upset about this game, which is dozens of hours away by plane for both California teams.
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Of course, the Lions have the benefit of a weaker schedule in 2026 after getting a 4th-place slate following their disappointing 2025 campaign. But, that does nothing to combat the injury risk inherent to this turnaround expected of them. In this case, a Thanksgiving tradition feels more like a punishment.
Head coach Dan Campbell is not a fan of excuses like tight scheduling. This is going to be the first season within the Lions' current contention window where they're taking their health so seriously to the point of cancelling their rookie camp and with the team deciding against joint practices.
With that in mind, it's hard to see a world where Campbell is happy to blame any potential downswing on this turnaround.
But, it's just hard to envision the Lions holding up with what we've seen from this team and their injury luck in recent seasons. The Munich game is a huge honor, especially for Amon-Ra St. Brown, but it's going to kickstart a horrendous stretch for Detroit if their slate of opponents between Week 10 and Thanksgiving is against competition that can give them a real fight.
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