Thanksgiving Tradition: Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears 2026 Game Preview
The Detroit Lions are set to host the Chicago Bears in their annual Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field. The game will take place on Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS. This matchup between the Lions and Bears has become a tradition, with the two teams having faced each other 20 times on Thanksgiving. In their last Thanksgiving meeting in 2024, the Lions emerged victorious with a 23-20 win. This will be the fifth time in the past six years that the Lions will host an NFC North opponent on Thanksgiving and the sixth time in the last 12 seasons that the Bears and Lions will clash on this holiday.
The Lions are coming off a 9-8 season and a last-place finish in the NFC North, while the Bears had a successful 11-6 season, making it to the playoffs and winning a Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. In their recent matchups, the Lions have had the upper hand, winning four straight games against the Bears. Detroit has a historical record of 38-45-2 on Thanksgiving, while the Bears hold a 20-16-2 record on the holiday.
In addition to the Thanksgiving Day game, the NFL has also announced two other key matchups for the Lions in the 2026 season. The Lions will face the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football and will host the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany, in Week 10. This game against the Bears is the first matchup revealed for the upcoming season, with the full schedules for both teams set to be released soon.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Lions' and Bears' schedules as the NFL releases more information about the upcoming season. Thanksgiving Day promises to be an exciting matchup between these two NFC North rivals, continuing a long-standing tradition in the NFL schedule.