The first NFL Thanksgiving Day game was played on November 29, 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears at University of Detroit Stadium in Detroit.

Quick Scoop

  • Date: November 29, 1934.
  • Teams: Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears.
  • Location: University of Detroit Stadium, Detroit, Michigan.
  • Result: The Bears beat the Lions 19–16 in front of about 26,000 fans.

A Bit Of Story

Back in 1934, new Lions owner G.A. Richards wanted to grab attention for his recently relocated team in Detroit, so he scheduled a special Thanksgiving showdown with the defending champion Bears. The game sold out, drew strong radio interest, and the success of that matchup effectively launched the now- classic Thanksgiving NFL tradition that still runs every year.

TL;DR: The first Thanksgiving NFL game was Lions vs. Bears on November 29, 1934, in Detroit.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.