The NFL is carving a new holiday tradition for fans, as commissioner Roger Goodell unveiled plans that might forever change how they spend Christmas Day.
Starting in 2025, the league will play three games on Dec. 25, signaling a bold move into territory long dominated by the NBA.
“We will clearly have three games on Christmas every year, we feel the same as you. … I think we’ll we’ll continue to rotate the teams,” Goodell said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“We will clearly have three games on Christmas every year..
It’s a great platform and we’ll continue to rotate the teams” ~ @nflcommish #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/xVQLeM2ZyH
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 25, 2025
This rotation policy addresses recent news about the Kansas City Chiefs’ desire for an annual Christmas appearance.
Goodell has essentially shut down this request, emphasizing that Christmas games will remain a rotating opportunity rather than becoming any single team’s holiday tradition, such as the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys annually hosting Thanksgiving Day games.
Regarding the Kansas City Chiefs’ request to be an annual Christmas game team, Goodell says he doesn’t think the NFL will do that and will rotate teams.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) April 25, 2025
For years, Christmas Day has belonged to the NBA, serving as its showcase for standout matchups and star-powered rivalries.
The NBA methodically built this tradition into a cornerstone of its programming. However, football’s growing presence threatens to reshape this landscape.
The NFL played two Christmas games in 2024 despite falling on a Wednesday (Kansas City at Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans), marking the first regular-season Wednesday games since 1925, aside from pandemic-related scheduling.
Looking ahead to 2025, the three-game Christmas lineup will feature two contests on Netflix and another on Amazon.
The full NFL schedule will be announced on May 14.
