BREAKING NEWS: The Lions are playing a division opponent on Thanksgiving. I know, I'm floored too.
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Today's the NFL schedule release, which would be fine if it took place literally any time before 7 at night. Now we just have to wait all day, sifting around through random twitter rumors and hoping these blog headlines don't age terrible. It's a fun game.
Everyone knew the Lions were going to play at home on Thanksgiving, so the only real mystery – if you even want to call it that – was who'd they play. Outside of the small chance the NFL would want to see Commanders-Lions Part 2 on that day, it was probably always going to be a NFC North opponent in Detroit on Thanksgiving afternoon.
And, turns out, it is! Probably.
Lions' supposed Thanksgiving matchup against the Packers could be for the NFC North title
NFL SCHEDULE NEWS 🦃
— Ozzy (@OzzyNFL) May 14, 2025
The Detroit #Lions will host the Green Bay #Packers on Thanksgiving Day - 1:00 on FOX, per sources pic.twitter.com/N3VKkbNmg5
At least it's an interesting matchup? At the risk of slightly insulting the Vikings (and who cares about the Bears), this looks like the game that could decide the NFC North. Every win is important, but divisional games that late in the year tend to make or break seasons. It did last year, at least.
Now you know. Now you can rest peacefully knowing that the Lions and the Packers are playing on Thanksgiving. That deep relief you feel washing over your body is just one of the many amazing side effects of knowing the exact order of the NFL schedule a few hours before it's official; there's nothing like it. This is why we follow football. I'll see you all on Thanksgiving, when we can share a laugh together knowing we saw this matchup coming way before everyone else did.