According to Princeton University, Princeton and Yale played each other in football in 1876, and the game would become a tradition until 1893. When professional football sprouted up in the early 20th century, Thanksgiving games did as well.

The Detroit Lions shed their laughingstock label over the previous two seasons. They just missed the playoffs in the 2022 season and then nearly reached the first Super Bowl in franchise history last season, winning the NFC North and reaching the conference championship game before squandering a 17-point lead to lose to the San Francisco 49ers.