Jerry Jones Has Strong Message About Future of NFL Christmas Day Games

Football's encroachment into what was once a basketball holiday is here to say.

Jerry Jones before the Cowboys' 38–10 win over the Commanders on Jan. 7, 2024. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Wikipedia page for the history of the NFL on Christmas Day says it all.

A section covering the history of Christmas games from 1989 to 2019 is labeled "Occasional regular season games on Christmas Day." A section covering the history of Christmas games since is labeled "Annual Christmas Day games."

Yes, in the 2020s, pro football has abandoned any pretense of deferring to the NBA on Christmas (men's basketball's much-written-about recession from the cultural zeitgeist has helped). In a Tuesday interview with KRLD-FM in Dallas, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones implied that the NFL won't be ceding the holiday back to Santa Claus anytime soon.

"Christmas Day is Christmas Day and it doesn’t wait around for what day it’s on. We want to be there on Christmas Day," Jones said via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. "I would think the future is whatever day it’s on, we’re going to be there on Christmas.”

Does Jerry Jones expect NFL to play on Christmas regardless what day?

“Christmas Day is Christmas Day & it doesn’t wait around for what day it’s on. We want to be there on Christmas Day.

“I would think the future is whatever day it’s on, we’re going to be there on Christmas.”

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 24, 2024

This year's Christmas doubleheader falls, unusually, on a Wednesday. All four teams played Saturday, but the turnaround is still a quick one.

The quality of play between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers in the early afternoon and the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans in the late afternoon will be worth keeping an eye on.

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