The NFL first played games on Christmas Day in 1971, during the divisional round of the playoffs featuring Cowboys–Vikings and Dolphins–Chiefs.

Quick Scoop

  • The first NFL Christmas games were on December 25, 1971, as playoff matchups rather than regular-season games.
  • Those games were:
    • Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings
    • Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs (which became the longest game in NFL history at 82 minutes, 40 seconds of game time).

How the Tradition Evolved

  • After 1971, backlash over holiday disruption led the league to largely avoid Christmas for many years.
  • The NFL brought back a Christmas Day game in 1989 with a Monday Night Football matchup between the Vikings and Bengals, starting a slow return of occasional Christmas scheduling.

Modern Christmas NFL

  • Multiple Christmas games did not reappear until the 2004 season, when the league scheduled a holiday doubleheader.
  • Since the 2000s, Christmas games have become more common, with some seasons (like 2022 and 2023) featuring up to three games on December 25 as part of the league’s prime-time and special-event strategy.

Meta description: Learn when the NFL started Christmas games, how the first 1971 playoff doubleheader sparked controversy, and how holiday matchups have grown into a modern scheduling staple.

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