Ex-NFL star’s warning for league as Thanksgiving Eve game is reportedly eyed

The NFL is reportedly eyeing adding another game to the holiday menu for fans at Thanksgiving time.

The league is exploring the possibility of adding a Thanksgiving Eve game to the docket for the 2026 season, ESPN reported Tuesday. If finalized, NFL fans would be treated to games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Sept. 20, 2009. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Thursday and warned the NFL about possibly diluting its product.

“I will caution this. The NBA, I think the season is just so long, there’s so many games, it gets watered down. I don’t think it’ll ever get to the point where there’s a 20-plus game season with the NFL for two seasons,” Merriman said. “Physically, I don’t think guys’ bodies can hold up an extra 2-3 games during the year unless there’s another bye week. They have to include another bye week if they plan on doing that.

DaRon Bland, left, and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys take a bite out of a turkey leg after a win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 23, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

AN NFL GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING IS OFFICIALLY ‘TOO MUCH FOOTBALL’

“What I will caution the NFL is that if you start giving the fans too much, yeah, you can make more money but you water down the product. There has to be some kind of balance with the two.”

The NFL continued to be a ratings boom during the 2025 season. A Week 14 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers on FOX drew in 28 million viewers.

Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers takes a bite out of a turkey leg after the Lions game at Ford Field on Nov. 27, 2025, in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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While the NFL remains popular, the league will also have to face the challenge of making sure players stay as healthy as they can to keep the product as good as it has been.