The 2026 NFL schedule release is upon us, and it's a big one for the Detroit Lions. They'll be hosting the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day, marking the 86th time the two teams have faced off on the holiday. This game is a tradition in itself, kicking off the league's annual Thanksgiving Tripleheader, which is a five-game extravaganza that begins on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and concludes with the Black Friday game.
The Bears are the reigning NFC North champions, having stopped Detroit's two-year title run in their first year under head coach Ben Johnson, the Lions' former offensive coordinator. Johnson and the Bears went 0-2 against the Lions, though, so the rivalry is far from over. The 2024 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, will lead his Bears into the Lions' den, where they'll face off against Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Aidan Hutchinson.
The Lions are coming off an unsettling 9-8 playoff-less season, but it was their fourth consecutive winning campaign. Since head coach Dan Campbell took over in 2021, much has changed for the better, including a 23-20 victory over Williams and the Bears in the 2024 Thanksgiving Game. Chicago trailed 23-7 before rallying, only to lose due to a clock management gaffe by Williams and Bears coaches. The next day, head coach Matt Eberflus was fired, opening the door for Johnson's arrival. The triumph was the Lions' first on Thanksgiving since 2016.
The Bears own the holiday edge, 11-9, and the two teams have met on Thanksgiving more than any other pair. The Bears defeated the Lions in the latter's first-ever Turkey Day tussle, prevailing 19-16 on Nov. 29, 1934, when Hall of Famer Bill Hewitt caught a 2-yard, game-winning touchdown from Hall of Famer Bronko Nagurski. More than 90 years later, the two long-time rivals will battle once more, continuing one of the NFL's longest-standing and most celebrated traditions: Thanksgiving Day football in Detroit.
The 2026 NFL schedule release will take place on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the coverage at NFL.com and NFL+.
