2019 NFL schedule rumors: Vikings likely to host Thanksgiving prime-time game against NFC East team

The Thanksgiving schedule for the 2019 NFL season is slowly coming into focus

By John Breech

Feb 18, 2019 at 2:23 pm ET • 2 min read

It looks like the Dallas Cowboys won't be the only NFC East team playing on Thanksgiving this year.

According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, the Philadelphia Eagles will likely be playing on Turkey Day during the 2019 season. Ourand revealed the news during an interview he did on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast last week. Although the game isn't set in stone yet, Ourand did say that it was "pretty likely" that the Eagles would be playing the Vikings in a game that would be played in Minnesota.

"I didn't actually write about this but I have heard that Minnesota versus Philadelphia is one that's in play," Ourand said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It's not dead set, but I'm told that it's pretty likely."

If the game does happen, it would be a rematch of the NFC Championship from the 2017 season, a game that the Eagles won 38-7. Of course, this time around the teams will look slightly different, especially at the quarterback position. During the NFC title game, it was Nick Foles against Case Keenum. However, if the two teams play on Thanksgiving, the quarterback matchup -- barring injury -- will likely be Carson Wentz against Kirk Cousins.

The Eagles and Vikings playing on Thanksgiving would almost be fitting and that's because these are the two teams with the two best Turkey Day records in the NFL. Of all the teams that have played three or more Thanksgiving games, the Eagles have the best Turkey Day record winning percentage (6-1 record, .857) with the Vikings right behind them at 6-2 (.750).

The Vikings last played on Thanksgiving in 2017, while the Eagles' last Turkey Day game came in 2015. The game in Minnesota will be the capper of a Thanksgiving Day triple-header that will take place on Nov. 28 (Week 13). Ourand previously reported that the other two games would be Dolphins at Cowboys and Bears at Lions.

Although the NFL schedule isn't expected to be released until April, there are a few nuggets that have been released besides the tentative Thanksgiving schedule.

According to multiple reports, the Patriots likely won't get to host the traditional Thursday night opener that goes to the defending Super Bowl champion. Instead, the league plans to kick off its 100th season by celebrating its oldest rivalry with an opener that features the Bears and the Packers.

The only games that have been confirmed by the NFL are the league's international games with 10 teams set to play abroad in 2019.