The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to replicate the success of the Detroit Lions by securing a regular spot on the Christmas Day football schedule. Reports suggest that the Chiefs have expressed their desire to the NFL for a permanent presence on Christmas Day, as per The Athletic. It appears that the Chiefs are on track to achieve their goal in 2025, where they are anticipated to be featured in one of the three games scheduled for Christmas Day. The first two games are set to be shown on Netflix, while the third game is expected to be broadcast on Amazon Prime, part of the “Thursday Night Football” lineup. In 2025, Christmas Day falls on a Thursday.
The Chiefs have already become familiar with playing on Christmas Day, having participated in holiday games for the past two seasons. In 2024, Kansas City triumphed over the Pittsburgh Steelers, while they were defeated by the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day in 2023.
NFL Christmas Day Schedule
Since 2020, when Christmas Day fell on a Friday, the NFL has made a deliberate effort to include games on the Christmas Day schedule. In that year, the league featured a single game, which was particularly memorable as New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara scored six touchdowns in a dominating 52-33 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
The following year, with Christmas Day landing on a Saturday, the NFL expanded to two games, with the Green Bay Packers besting the Cleveland Browns and the Indianapolis Colts prevailing over the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2022, with Christmas on a Sunday, the NFL opted for three games instead of a full slate. The Packers secured their second consecutive Christmas Day victory by defeating the Miami Dolphins. Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams conquered the Denver Broncos, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vanquished the Cardinals in the other matchups.
The Chiefs made their Christmas Day debut in 2023 against the Raiders, while the Philadelphia Eagles outplayed the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens secured a win over the San Francisco 49ers in the remaining Christmas Day games that year.
The Chiefs continued their Christmas Day tradition in 2024 by emerging victorious against the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Ravens clinched their second consecutive Christmas win by triumphing over the Houston Texans.
Although the Christmas Day tradition is relatively recent for the NFL, the league is no stranger to holiday games, with the Lions and Dallas Cowboys establishing Thanksgiving football as a longstanding tradition. The Lions began hosting games on Thanksgiving in 1934, while the Cowboys have been a Thanksgiving fixture since 1966.
