NFL Christmas Day Schedule: Who Is Playing on Christmas?

The NFL has announced their slate of three games for Christmas Day in 2025. Ahead of the entire schedule release on Wednesday evening, the league has officially revealed which matchups will take place on Christmas this year.

After the success of the two games the NFL featured on Christmas last year, the NFL will now hold three games on the holiday each year. The NFL started holding games on Christmas annually in 2020, and the tradition is here to stay.

Here are the three matchups that will take place this year on Christmas Day:

Which Teams Are Playing on Christmas Day?

The Cowboys, Vikings and Chiefs were all part of the NFL's first set of games on Christmas Day back in 1971, when the league held the divisional round of the playoffs on the holiday. The Chiefs were defeated by the Miami Dolphins in the NFL's longest game, and the Cowboys took down the Vikings before winning their first Super Bowl that season.

The Chiefs, Cowboys and Lions are also all playing on Thanksgiving this year as well as Christmas. Kansas City hopes to make playing on Christmas an annual tradition, while the Cowboys and Lions have a longstanding history of playing on Thanksgiving.

NFL Christmas Matchups

This year's slate of Christmas games features three divisional matchups that could have major implications on the division and playoff races. Starting in the early window, the Cowboys will take on a Commanders team that is fresh off an appearance in the NFC championship game behind quarterback Jayden Daniels. Though the Cowboys didn't make the postseason last year with Dak Prescott injured, they have been in the thick of the playoff race in recent seasons.

The Vikings and Lions' fight for the NFC North came down to the final game of the regular season last year, with the Lions ultimately prevailing. The Vikings are turning to quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season while the Lions lost coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, who took on head coaching roles. Both teams will look to remain atop what is arguably the toughest division in the NFL.

Though the Chiefs reign the AFC West and have made each of the last three Super Bowls, they have competition emerging in the division. The Denver Broncos proved they could compete when they returned to the postseason last year with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. They were also just a blocked field goal away from upsetting Kansas City in the regular season.

What Is Each Team's Record on Christmas?

The Cowboys and Chiefs are tied for the most games on Christmas Day, with five apiece. Dallas is 2–3 while Kansas City is 3–2 on the holiday.

The Vikings and Broncos have each played on Christmas a total of four times. Minnesota is 1–3 in those games and Denver is 2–2. Neither of the two played well during their last Christmas appearance, with the Vikings losing to the Saints 52–33 in 2020 and the Broncos getting crushed by the Rams 51–14 in 2022.

The Detroit Lions have appeared in Christmas games twice, but are 0–2 in those matchups. The Commanders are the lone team of the six that have yet to play on Christmas Day.