Everything you need to know about the Cowboys Thanksgiving game
The Cowboys Thanksgiving game is a lovely tradition. Learn about the team’s Turkey Day history, what to expect this year, and the special treat the winners get.
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. We’re getting ready to spend time with family and friends and share what we’re thankful for, overeat on food to the point of sleepiness, and settle in to watch the Dallas Cowboys on TV. It’s an annual Thanksgiving tradition!
All time, the Cowboys’ record on Thanksgiving is 33-22-1, and the team has won three games in a row on the holiday. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 installment of the Cowboys Thanksgiving game.
What time is the Cowboys Thanksgiving game?
The Cowboys host the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day at 3:30 p.m. CST at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas is 7-5 all-time against the Chiefs, though they’ve lost two out of their previous three in the series. The last time these two met was in November 2021, when the Chiefs won 19-9. The most recent Cowboys win came in 2017, when Dallas emerged victorious, 28-17. That was before Patrick Mahomes became Kansas City’s starter, so things will look quite different this time around.
How can I watch the Cowboys Thanksgiving game?
The Cowboys Thanksgiving game will be broadcast on CBS this season. Expect the network’s top trio of Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst), and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter) to once again handle the broadcasting duties.
If you prefer to listen to your games instead of watching them, head over to the Westwood One Network. The radio platform is broadcasting all the Thanksgiving action.
There are also limited seats available to catch the game live at AT&T Stadium.
Why do the Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving?
Well, they are America’s team, after all. Dallas has hosted Thanksgiving Day games every year since 1966 (aside from 1975 and 1977), and they’ve become a staple of the holiday.
The Thanksgiving Cowboys’ game tradition began as a shrewd business move. The Detroit Lions had been hosting games on Thanksgiving since 1934. The NFL and AFL announced a merger during the summer of 1966, and the growing league expressed an interest in producing a second game on Thanksgiving.
Then-Cowboys president Tex Schramm saw this as an opportunity. The Cowboys had only entered the league six years earlier, and securing a permanent annual game that was always televised (in an era before games were regularly on TV) was intriguing. Schramm also felt the Cowboys would have an advantage in this game, since the opposing team would be forced to travel to Dallas on a short week.
In 1975 and 1977, the St. Louis Cardinals—yes, that was once a football squad and not a baseball team—requested to host on Thanksgiving. Dallas hosted the Cardinals in 1976, but the experiment was short-lived. The Cardinals were nowhere near as popular as the Cowboys and played poorly when hosting. Dallas resumed its Thanksgiving tradition in 1978 and has kept it up every year since.
How are the Cowboys doing this year?
Not great, Bob…er, Jerry. Dallas is currently 3-5-1 and multiple games out of the playoff race. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones traded away the team’s top defensive player in Micah Parsons before the season started, and it certainly hasn’t helped. As of this writing, the Cowboys rank second-to-last in both yards allowed (397.4) and points allowed (30.8) per game.
Luckily, they’re putting up fantastic offensive numbers. They’re fourth in total yards per game (378.4) and in scoring, averaging 29.2 points per contest.
But those offensive numbers haven’t translated to wins. The Cowboys entered their Week 10 bye coming off two straight losses. They haven’t won more than one game in a row all year and also hold the NFL’s only tie, a 40-40 draw with the Green Bay Packers back in Week 4. A tie is technically better than a loss in the standings, but it still feels like a blemish on the record.
What Cowboys players should we watch for in this game?
The Cowboys’ offense has generally been consistent throughout the year (save for a couple of duds here and there) and will likely make some big plays. Quarterback Dak Prescott (#4) has plenty to be thankful for when throwing to his two star receivers, CeeDee Lamb (#88) and George Pickens (#3). Prescott is currently sixth in passing yards and third in quarterback rating, and Pickens is among the top five in both receiving yards and touchdowns. Javonte Williams (#33) has been a very solid newcomer out of the backfield; he’s sixth in rushing yards and tied for third with eight rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, linebackers Kenneth Murray Jr. (#59) and Shemar James (#50) lead the team in tackles, so you’ll likely hear their names called several times throughout the broadcast. Cornerback DaRon Bland (#26) is third on the team in tackles (and second in solo tackles), and he’s also returned an interception for a touchdown this season. It’s the team’s lone defensive score on the year, so maybe a little turkey magic is in the air. Or maybe the team can sneak some cranberry sauce onto the field to make the ball extra slippery when Kansas City is on offense.
And of course, Brandon Aubrey (#17) continues to be one of the best kickers in the league. The Cowboys simply getting the ball past midfield puts the team in field goal range. Aubrey has made 17 out of 18 kicks, 28 out of 29 extra points, and has knocked in two from 60+ yards out (61 and 64, to be exact). This season, he became the first kicker in NFL history with five makes from 60 yards or more.
Do the winning teams on Thanksgiving get anything special?
For quite some time, the winning teams only got a victory in the standings. That changed in 1989, when legendary broadcaster John Madden offered a turkey leg to Reggie White, the defensive back of the Philadelphia Eagles. White and the Eagles had shut out the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, 27-0.
The turkey leg tradition was well-received, and Madden and his production team soon delivered even more feasts. Astute observers may have noticed the turkeys presented to the winning players had extra legs attached, since sometimes, several players step up as MVPs.
Madden upped the ante in 1997 after learning about a turducken. This hybrid meal is a turkey stuffed with a boneless duck, which is stuffed with chicken. It’s like a Russian doll that keeps offering surprises, only the dolls are made from poultry.
Whether the turkey legs and turducken actually taste good is another story. Some players simply offer a cheers to the camera and avoid taking a bite. Who knows how long the food has been sitting out before it’s served to them?
We hope the Cowboys fans at your party enjoy a victorious turkey leg, too. Happy Thanksgiving!
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