If you were nursing a food coma on December 25, 2025, you probably had the remote glued to your hand. Christmas has basically become the NFL's property now. It’s the new Thanksgiving, but with colder weather and significantly higher playoff stakes. Honestly, the league isn't even pretending anymore; they want the holiday.
This past year, the schedule makers gave us a triple-header that actually lived up to the hype. We saw the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears all suit up while the rest of us were tearing through wrapping paper. It wasn't just about the novelty of Wednesday football. It was about the AFC North race exploding and the NFC North proving it might be the toughest division in the entire league.
The Logistics Nightmare: Wednesday Football?
People thought the league was joking when they announced Wednesday games. They weren't.
Because Christmas fell on a Wednesday in 2024 and influenced the 2025 cycle, the NFL had to get creative with "short weeks." To make it work, the teams who played on Christmas Day NFL actually played their previous games on the Saturday before. This gave them a four-day rest period, which is essentially what teams get for Thursday Night Football. It’s a grind. Players hate the recovery turnaround, but the ratings are just too massive for the front office to ignore.
Mahomes vs. Tomlin: Chiefs at Steelers
The early window kicked off at Acrisure Stadium. Watching Patrick Mahomes try to navigate the "Steel Curtain" in freezing Pittsburgh weather is a different kind of vibe.
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The Steelers, led by a revitalized defense and a run-heavy scheme, tried to keep Mahomes off the field. It’s the classic Mike Tomlin blueprint. You keep the score low, you hit the quarterback often, and you pray your kicker is on point. Chris Boswell usually is. On the other side, the Chiefs have evolved. They aren't just a "deep ball" team anymore. They're methodical.
What stood out in this game wasn't just the flashy plays. It was the grit. Travis Kelce continues to find soft spots in zones that shouldn't exist. He’s like a ghost in the secondary. The Steelers' crowd was loud, but Mahomes has this weird way of sucking the oxygen out of a stadium right when the home team thinks they have a chance. It’s brutal to watch if you’re a local.
The Rivalry Peak: Ravens at Texans
This was the meat of the day. If you want to know who played on Christmas Day NFL with the most "bad blood," this was it. Ever since the Texans became a legitimate threat with C.J. Stroud, the Ravens have had them circled on the calendar.
Lamar Jackson is a nightmare for a young defense. He’s twitchy. He makes Pro Bowl linebackers look like they’re running in sand. But the Texans didn't blink. DeMeco Ryans has built a culture in Houston that thrives on these big stages. They play fast, aggressive, and they don't care about your MVP trophies.
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The chess match between John Harbaugh and Ryans was the highlight. Baltimore loves to use heavy personnel, forcing you to respect the run before Lamar kills you with a play-action pass to Mark Andrews or Isaiah Likely. Houston countered with a relentless pass rush. It was a heavyweight fight that went into the fourth quarter with both teams breathing heavy. If you missed this one, you missed the best tactical display of the holiday.
The Frozen Tundra... at Night: Bears at Packers
There is nothing—and I mean nothing—like a night game at Lambeau Field on Christmas.
The Packers and Bears have the oldest rivalry in the sport. Putting them on the late-night Christmas slot felt like a gift to traditionalists. Caleb Williams walking into Green Bay is a narrative that writes itself. The "frozen tundra" wasn't just a nickname this year; it was a reality. The temperature dropped significantly by kickoff, turning the ball into a literal brick.
Jordan Love has settled into that "franchise guy" role perfectly. He’s got that calm demeanor that Packers fans have been spoiled with for decades. The Bears, meanwhile, are desperate to flip the script. For years, Green Bay has "owned" Chicago. Watching the young Chicago roster try to stand up to that legacy in a hostile, sub-zero environment was fascinating. It wasn't always pretty football. There were dropped passes and some slips on the turf, but the intensity was higher than a playoff game.
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Why the NFL is Winning the Holiday War
For a long time, Christmas belonged to the NBA. Not anymore.
The NFL saw the viewership numbers and realized that people don't just want basketball on Christmas; they want high-stakes collision sports. The move to play on a Wednesday was a massive gamble. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league owners essentially bet that fans would adjust their schedules, and they were right.
- TV Ratings: The 2025 Christmas games rivaled playoff numbers.
- Streaming: With games moving to platforms like Netflix, the accessibility has shifted.
- Player Safety: This remains the biggest sticking point. The NFLPA hasn't been quiet about the physical toll of these short-rest windows.
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
If you're wondering if this was a one-time thing, don't hold your breath. The league is already looking at how to schedule around the holiday for the next few years. As long as the checks clear and the fans tune in, we’re going to see more of this.
We might see a future where the NFL dominates the entire "holiday corridor" from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. It’s aggressive. It’s corporate. But man, it’s good television. The level of play we saw from the Ravens and Chiefs specifically proved that these teams can show up even on short rest.
Actionable Takeaways for Next Season
If you’re planning your 2026 holiday around who played on Christmas Day NFL, keep these points in mind so you aren't caught off guard by the schedule:
- Check the "Saturday Lead-In": Always look at the games played the Saturday before Christmas. Those teams are almost guaranteed to be your holiday performers. It’s the only way the league can justify the rest periods.
- Monitor Injuries Early: Because of the short turnaround, teams often "rest" star players with minor lingering issues during the Saturday game to ensure they are 100% for the massive Christmas Day audience.
- Betting Value: Historically, the "Under" is a tempting play for holiday games. Cold weather and short prep time usually favor the defense, though the 2025 Ravens/Texans game certainly tried to buck that trend.
- Streaming Prep: Don't wait until kickoff to realize the game isn't on local cable. The NFL is moving more of these premium windows to exclusive streaming partners. Make sure your apps are updated and your subscriptions are active at least 24 hours before.
The NFL has successfully turned Christmas into a football holiday. Whether you love the intrusion on family time or live for the triple-header, the "Christmas Day NFL" tradition is now firmly baked into the American sports calendar.