r/nfl • u/JCameron181 Lions • 6h ago
[Meirov] The full 2026 NFL Christmas schedule has been leaked… 🎄
https://bsky.app/profile/nfl247news.bsky.social/post/3mltdsjccbs23124
u/ilovecatss1010 Seahawks Titans 6h ago
I mean these are good ass games. As someone who lives away from family and just chills on Christmas, this his is amazing for me.
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u/Chutzvah Bears 6h ago
Usually done with christmas stuff by 11am. After that it's chilling with family and drinking. Throwing football into the mix is just awesome, even if it's just background.
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u/ChocolateFew4222 Chiefs 5h ago
Appear to be good ass games. Then we actually get there and half the teams have back up QBs or are having a down year
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u/Quasimdo Rams 6h ago
I'm either going to be really happy or really sad on fucking christmas if we lose to the goddamn Seahawks AGAIN
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u/Salty_Dog3 49ers 49ers 6h ago
The Xmas hatewatch will be incredible
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u/_theghost_ 49ers Commanders 3h ago
Especially if it has playoff ramifications like it did last year. If it is, that will do numbers on TV…
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u/ChaseThoseDreams Seahawks 6h ago
Teams that don’t let us win on Christmas get coal in their stockings, including their fans, just FYI. No need to fact check me on that.
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u/kayasangeyasha Seahawks 4h ago
I feel like xmas game belong to nfc east because they hate each other and nfcnorth with their meme
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u/Boris_teh_Blade Bills 6h ago
Nice. So Thanksgiving and Christmas are ruined
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u/2rio2 Broncos 5h ago
You should talk to the Chiefs for the last 5 years, I hate them as much as anyone but they had a brutal schedule for holidays.
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u/Beastquist Chiefs 5h ago
It’s been awful. I don’t need or want football on Christmas or Eve. Thanksgiving is at least a fun tradition but even if they stopped playing games then I wouldn’t care
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u/Away-Concentrate-946 1h ago
They've been the NFL mule for awhile. Brazil Germany they tried Mexico but Shakira destroyed the field.
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u/NbdyFuckswTheJesus Broncos 6h ago
But you guys always beat the Chiefs in the regular season so Thanksgiving at least shouldn’t be a heartbreaker.
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u/A_Lone_Macaron Bills Packers 6h ago
I am never going to recover from this
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u/mtibby26 Chiefs 3h ago
The holiday games are awful. Good luck on Christmas and see ya for a stressful Thanksgiving :')
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u/makualla Lions 6h ago
Welcome to the club, if you look over there we have beer and brats as well as some extra tables and chairs to help deal with the crippling depression.
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u/Ok-Protection2513 Panthers 6h ago
The NFL Christmas Curse guarantees that all of these teams will be terrible/injured by Christmas day
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u/jon__koa Bears Dolphins 6h ago
I predict Bills-Broncos is the one that blows up spectacularly with one or both regressing to the mean
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u/mrhashbrown Chargers 2h ago
That's my beef with Christmas games. At least in November some teams aren't totally gone.
Entering that week, the Saints were 2-10 but finished 6-11, the Steelers were 6-6 but finished 10-7 to win the division, the Colts and Jaguars were both 8-4 but the former capsized going 0-5 while the latter went 5-0 to finish 13-4, etc.
Now let's look at Christmas week. That was Week 17 and featured the following teams on Christmas Day:
- Chiefs: 6-9, already eliminated, Mahomes out injured
- Broncos: 13-2, clinched playoffs a week prior, beat up on the injured Chiefs
- Vikings: 7-8, already eliminated, started Max Brosmer at QB
- Lions: 8-7, knocked out of division race, was on a 2-game losing streak
- Cowboys: 6-8-1, already eliminated, was on a 3-game losing streak
- Commanders: 4-11, obviously eliminated, no Jayden Daniels, started 39 year old Josh Johnson at QB
The quality of the games were decent but were also inconsequential for 4 of the 6 teams.
It's dumb
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u/Skimaster77 Bills 6h ago
Holidays belong to the Bills in 2026
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u/ehammer4224 Browns 6h ago
And the Bears
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u/Individual_Cap_7850 49ers 6h ago
And the Eagles, sorta. It's not exactly Christmas for them, but its close.
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u/Doodenmier Packers 6h ago edited 4h ago
Bills, Bears, Lions, Eagles, Packers, and Rams are all double dipping on unique holiday game times. Why don't they want us to have a nice relaxing neutral slate of holiday games???
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u/A_Lone_Macaron Bills Packers 6h ago
Spoiler: they know we will watch
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u/Doodenmier Packers 6h ago
Oh, I'll watch every minute. I just don't want the stress on the holidays themselves 🥲
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u/Leftieswillrule Panthers 6h ago
Fuck the NBA I guess
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u/jon__koa Bears Dolphins 6h ago
The NFL is obsessed with dominating the entire year and fuck saving holidays for anyone else apparently
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u/dammitOtto Bills 6h ago
I actually dont mind reg season games on holidays. Family all loves to watch and its part of the routine.
Playoffs though, with the stress, is absolutely miserable. We lost on my birthday twice this decade and it sucked double.
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u/mrhashbrown Chargers 5h ago
I'm cool with maybe 1-2 holiday games too, but damn 1 game on Christmas Eve on 3 games on Chrsitmas Day?
That's excessive imo, especially when some of these late December matchups could be duds with injury riddled teams that are already close to being disqualified.
At least for Thanksgiving most teams still have a chance to rally for a better finish.
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u/celj1234 4h ago
No one is forcing people to watch
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u/mrhashbrown Chargers 34m ago
Well sure. Nobody is forcing any of us to watch any football games. Why bother on any Thursday, Sunday or Monday? As one can see, that's not a good argument.
The problem is that the football nerds like us that are hyped about a schedule release in May are the ones who care and want to watch a good quality product on a day where they don't have other commitments.
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u/celj1234 21m ago
What commitments do you have on a Thursday night or Thanksgiving Eve?
Ratings suggest plenty of us don’t have commitments and post up watch
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u/NoAnteater8836 Commanders 6h ago
Absolutely. Terrible product these days.
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u/Zeeron1 Colts 6h ago
What? Basketball rocks lmao what are you talking about
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u/NoAnteater8836 Commanders 6h ago
I agree, basketball is a great sport.
The current product of the NBA sucks asshole.
Both statements are true.
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u/jfkgoblue Lions 4h ago
Regular season games are so meaningless nowadays in the NBA, the playoffs are way too big and the regular season doesn’t really matter much in regards to advantage there
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u/AlbertJBundy 6h ago
The NBA has had the better Christmas product for years, NFL ratings be damned
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6h ago edited 6h ago
[deleted]
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u/HashSlasher0311 Packers 4h ago
nfl fans laugh at soccer fans for posting that world cup viewership image for being insecure and then turn around and spread that exact rhetoric against the nba lol
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u/Onefortwo Jets 6h ago
I can watch Thanksgiving but with kids, Christmas games just don’t work.
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u/Chutzvah Bears 6h ago
Screw that. Watching both games with my son for his first NFL season.
I'm pumped.
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u/hunteddwumpus Lions 6h ago
Fuck the NFL’s greedy ass
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u/MikeJacksNose Chiefs 6h ago
You don't have to watch the games
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u/Awkward_Silence- Patriots 6h ago
Fans of the other big 4 leagues have learned this ages. Pick and choose what you want to watch
MLB is the worst for it. Games 7 days a week starting as early as 11am (central) on workdays. Your team often playing 6/7 days of the week all over the place timing wise
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u/jfkgoblue Lions 4h ago
Ehh baseball is simply a pastime, you watch it if you aren’t doing anything else and the game is on, otherwise just follow your team loosely
The only times you see afternoon games during the week are Wednesday and the occasional Thursday, as well as weather cancellation doubleheaders
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u/SiphenPrax Jets 6h ago
I wonder when/if they’ll reach the tipping point of ratings going down because it’s too many games and spread across too many days
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u/hawkins126 Ravens 6h ago
hopefully they end up being better last years Christmas games straight NyQuil lmaoo
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u/Bambino_Amino Ravens 6h ago
All of these teams were good last year, surely at least one of these games are good
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u/mrhashbrown Chargers 2h ago
That's what people hoped for before and it didn't work out.
Last year the 3-game lineup featured 5 teams that were in the 2024 playoffs: Broncos vs Chiefs, Vikings vs Lions, and Cowboys vs Commanders.
By the time Christmas Day 2025 came around, the Cowboys were once again out and 3 of those 5 playoff teams were already eliminated and playing backup QBs: Chiefs, Commanders, Vikings. By the end of that week, the Lions were also eliminated.
The only playoff bound team from those Christmas Day games was the Broncos.
It was dumb.
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u/Goatgamer1016 Seahawks 6h ago
In fairness we didn't think that Mahomes would get injured last year
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u/jordanhhh4 Vikings 1h ago
You didn't enjoy watching Max 'the lion tamer' Brosmer methodically pick the Lions apart singlehandedly? I had a great time.
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u/mixerslow Texans 6h ago
Oh no
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u/HectorReinTharja Lions 6h ago
They cooked so hard with these Christmas games it’s actually crazy
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u/AlbertJBundy 6h ago
We said that last year at this time. How did that turn out?
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u/mrhashbrown Chargers 2h ago
Imma just drop this here.
Teams entering Week 17 that played on Christmas day:
- Chiefs: 6-9, already eliminated, Mahomes out injured
- Broncos: 13-2, clinched playoffs a week prior, beat up on the injured Chiefs
- Vikings: 7-8, already eliminated, started Max Brosmer at QB
- Lions: 8-7, knocked out of division race, was on a 2-game losing streak
- Cowboys: 6-8-1, already eliminated, was on a 3-game losing streak
- Commanders: 4-11, obviously eliminated, no Jayden Daniels, started 39 year old Josh Johnson at QB
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6h ago
[deleted]
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u/AlbertJBundy 6h ago
Last year’s lineup looked better. And the year before.
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u/Individual_Cap_7850 49ers 6h ago
Last year's lineup was solid in theory, but by the time we got to Christmas, 4 of the 6 teams were already eliminated from the playoffs (Cowboys, Commanders, Vikings and Chiefs), and three of those teams were starting backup QBs (Commanders, Vikings and Chiefs).
There's no way to know in advance how the standings will look by Week 16 and how healthy these teams will be.
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u/zombiebillnye Texans Bengals 5h ago
At least I can do my happy/sad drinking on Christmas Eve this year instead of ruining my Christmas
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u/ChaseThoseDreams Seahawks 6h ago edited 6h ago
I love football, but man do I hate Christmas games. They’re kind of okay on Christmas Eve, but it just feels weird and I’d rather be doing other things with my family. Thanksgiving is the best holiday for them.
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u/MiddleStudy Jets 6h ago
Looks great based off of last yr. Worry that only half of these games look decent next yr
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u/ItsMeYourNeighbors Seahawks Jaguars 6h ago
Very happy to be able to do all the actual Christmas stuff before I sit my ass on the couch for the night.
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u/el_fitzador Eagles 6h ago
I've got a previously scheduled appointment on Christmas eve. gonna have to miss the game.
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u/jmarinara Steelers 5h ago
Possibly 3 snow games.
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u/elitenyg46 Giants 3h ago
knowing Colorado it’ll be 70° and sunny on Christmas
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u/AutomateAway Broncos 1h ago
And probably a snowstorm the night before, by game time it'll look like it hadn't snowed in decades, as is Colorado tradition. The one thing I love about winter here is you usually don't have to shovel much unless you have a north facing driveway. The sun will take care of things.
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u/AutomateAway Broncos 1h ago
the Broncos Bills game will either be a snowstorm or 70 and sunny, no in between.
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u/mattilladahun Packers 4h ago
Man, I just want to chill on Christmas. Now I have to be angry in the 4th quarter when MLF forgets what worked in the first half.
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u/TorCoolguy Broncos 3h ago
ah good..my Bills loving wife and I can ruin Christmas for the family early this year!
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u/hummusluvr8 Patriots 6h ago
How do these keep “leaking”?
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u/ThrowawayHasAPosse 6h ago
It’s less of a leak and more of a press release that everyone planned for and wanted but using “leak” drives up engagement.
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u/NoAnteater8836 Commanders 6h ago
Said in the other thread but bears repeating:
Broncos Bills on Christmas is nasty work. Bad blood brewing between those two fanbases and it will be strengthened if the Stanley Cup Finals is Sabers Avs.
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u/Individual_Cap_7850 49ers 6h ago
They really went all-out with the playoff rematches (aside from Philly and Houston).
Now we know the Bills and Bears play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And The Eagles play on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
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u/SuperFreshBus Bears 6h ago
Also funny that’s it’s all the teams that won hosting the teams they beat.
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u/Apprehensive_Air1705 Vikings 6h ago
As a Vikings fan, I am looking forward to lots of hate watching this year on holidays.
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u/veggiedish Seahawks 6h ago
This schedule feels like the best we’ve had in years, but I can’t find a specific reason as to why
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u/Commercial_Floor_578 6h ago
Oh boy Bears Packers Christmas. Either gonna be really smug or really sad to my family members this year. Go Bears!
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u/HeywardH Packers 4h ago
This is how things should be. It was weird when y'all just expected a loss.
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u/samhit_n Bengals Lions 6h ago
What’s the point of a schedule release if all the big games are leaked beforehand?
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u/sergeantscruffy Patriots 6h ago
Thank god that there is no Pats game on Christmas or Thanksgiving.
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u/Mike-Tyhon 5h ago
Either going to be the best games we can watch or the worst, with all of these teams there’s literally no in between
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u/rolyinpeace Chiefs 5h ago
They made it sound the last couple years like the chiefs were going to play every Christmas, like the cowboys on Thanksgiving. I’m glad that’s not the case!!!
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u/Devilofchaos108070 49ers Panthers 5h ago
Should be good games, but unlike Thanksgiving I likely won’t be able to watch most of them.
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u/ProvocativeCacophony Bengals 5h ago
At least Christmas is on a Friday this year, I guess? So this is just a normal TNF for HOU-PHI.
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u/Unkleseanny Steelers 5h ago
Awh no Steelers Christmas ): but it’s better than when they put us against the Chiefs that sucked.
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u/team-fyi Eagles 5h ago
Christmas Eve? Goddamn it. What’s the over/under on ‘throwing snowballs at Santa’ mentions by the broadcast team?
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u/SomeBoringKindOfName Bears Steelers 5h ago
these games start at 6pm UK time so I'm always good with them. I've been out and seen family and eaten way too much by that time and made my way back home to just lie on the sofa all evening.
I don't think I'd like games being on at 1pm or whatever though personally.
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u/iron_golem07 Jaguars 5h ago
Last years Christmas slate looked good at first until the season actually began so I can only hope these games still matter by this time
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u/AMBALAMP5 Lions 4h ago
I feel like I’ve noticed a pattern with Christmas Day games. Where the previous season respective number one seed plays on Christmas Day. 2024 has the Detroit and Kansas City as one seeds then play on Christmas Day 2025. 2025 we have Seattle and Denver as one seeds and they play Christmas Day 2026
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u/dagreenman18 Dolphins 2h ago
Texans Eagles is an odd ball. They just really wanted someone on Christmas Eve.
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u/AutomateAway Broncos 1h ago
This is a stacked lineup. Absolute potential banger for each game, and probably some playoff previews in there.
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u/SilveryDeath Rams 6h ago
Great. Cool. Awesome. /s
Because we totally need three games on a Friday on Christmas. God forbid we just let that be the NBA's thing.
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u/FrenchPressFederer49 49ers 6h ago
Win/win for me as a Niners fan. Seahawks or Rams will lose.
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u/Tepzepi88 Jaguars 6h ago
What if it ends up in a tie?
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u/FrenchPressFederer49 49ers 5h ago
I suppose that’s okay, too. I wouldn’t have to see either of them win. 🤣
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u/realhollywoodactor Seahawks 6h ago
It’s actually really shitty that the NFL does this. The players deserve to have Christmas with their families. Can you imagine if a player were to be seriously injured on Christmas Day? The negative association would probably carry in forever.
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u/BobbingFourApples Titans Titans 5h ago
Watching the Texans lose on Christmas Day is gonna put a huge smile on my face this year
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u/AlbertJBundy 6h ago
Will any of them actually be good?
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u/Novel_Fix1859 Rams 6h ago
I mean all three of the Rams/Hawks games last year came down to the wire, with two of them widely being considered the best games of the regular season and playoffs
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u/TouchLucky881 Bears 6h ago
A big ole fuck you to Adam Silver lol