When you think of Thanksgiving today, football is on the short list of holiday staples. As the late, great John Madden put it, “Thanksgiving and football. Some things just go together greatly.”

While it may seem like the NFL and Thanksgiving have always gone together, that’s not exactly the case. The NFL began in 1920, but the first Thanksgiving game didn’t occur until 14 years later.

Here’s everything you need to know about the history and origins of this holiday tradition:

When did the NFL start playing games on Thanksgiving?

The every-year tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving, NFL style, dates back to 1934 when the Detroit Spartans hosted the World Champion Chicago Bears.

What NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving?

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys traditionally always

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