NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The NFL is reportedly considering adding another game to the Christmas menu for fans around Thanksgiving.
The league is exploring the possibility of adding a Thanksgiving Eve game to the schedule for the 2026 season, ESPN reported Tuesday. If finalized, NFL fans will be able to enjoy games on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
San Diego Chargers linebacker (56) Shawne Merriman against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on September 20, 2009. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Former NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Thursday and warned the NFL about potentially diluting its product.
“I will caution this. In the NBA, I think the season is so long, there are so many games, that it gets diluted. I don’t think it will ever get to the point where there is a 20-plus game season with the NFL over two seasons,” Merriman said. “Physically, I don’t think guys’ bodies can handle 2 or 3 extra games during the year unless there’s another bye week. They have to include another bye week if they plan to do that.
DaRon Bland #26 Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys takes a bite out of a turkey leg after a win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Richard RodrÃguez/Getty Images)
AN NFL GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING IS OFFICIALLY ‘TOO MUCH FOOTBALL’
“What I will caution the NFL is that if you start giving too much to the fans, yes, you may make more money but you dilute the product. There has to be some kind of balance between the two.”
The NFL continued to experience a ratings boom during the 2025 season. A Week 14 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers on FOX drew 28 million viewers.
Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers takes a bite out of a turkey leg after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 27, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
While the NFL remains popular, the league will also have to face the challenge of making sure players stay as healthy as possible to keep the product as good as it has been.
