The Detroit Lions Have Played on Thanksgiving for Decades, but How Often do They Win?

The Detroit Lions are one of the oldest franchises in sports, and in spite of that storied history, they have never actually won a Super Bowl. In 2024, the team has one of the best records in football, and are favorites to make a deep run in the post-season.

One of the longest-running traditions of this storied franchise is playing on Thanksgiving. The team started playing Thanksgiving Day games in 1934 and has played on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1945. In total, they have played on Thanksgiving 84 times, and many want to know what the team's record is on that day. Here's what we know.

The Lions have played on Thanksgiving more than any other NFL team, and it's not particularly close. The Dallas Cowboys are the next closest team, having played on the holiday 56 times.

The team's overall record on Thanksgiving is 37-45-2. The team was actually above .500 for much of their history, but now have a losing record thanks to two significant losing streaks that both happened in the 21st century.

The team is 6-18 on that day since 2000, and has lost every year since 2016. They also lost nine straight games on Thanksgiving from 2004-2012.

The Lions are hoping to break their active streak this year with a win against the Bears, who they lost to in the first-ever Thanksgiving Day game 16-13. The Bears and Lions have an ancient rivalry, and this year, the Lions have a far better record heading into the contest.

The Bears and Lions have played each other 19 total times on Thanksgiving, and Chicago holds the edge in those games with an 11-8 record. The Bears have won their most recent three meetings with the Lions, so it's safe to say that the Lions won't be taking them lightly in spite of their record.

The Lions also want to snap their Thanksgiving Day losing streak and start pushing their record back toward .500.

The Lions are currently sitting on the best record in the NFC, and are tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the NFL. Even though they're sitting at 10-1, though, the Lions don't even have their own division locked up yet because the Minnesota Vikings are 9-2 and the Green Bay Packers are 8-3, meaning that the games these teams play against one another are likely to determine which one wins the division, and whether any of them get a bye during the first round of the playoffs.

So, even though the Lions are almost guaranteed to go to the playoffs, they still have a lot to play for when they meet the Bears on Thanksgiving Day. Given that the game after the Lions involves two backup quarterbacks (for the Cowboys and the Giants), fans should enjoy the quality football of the Lions while they can.