The Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts were two of 12 franchises to never play an NFL game on Christmas Day. That will change in 2021.
For the first time in four years, the NFL will play a doubleheader on Christmas Day. The Cleveland Browns will travel to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers in the afternoon matinee (4:30 p.m. ET Fox/NFL Network/Amazon) and the Indianapolis Colts will head to State Farm Stadium to play the Arizona Cardinals in the nightcap (8:15 p.m. ET, NFL Network).
Since Christmas fell on a Saturday, the NFL exercised the right to play two games on the holiday. The league last played two games on Christmas in 2017, when the holiday fell on a Monday. The last time the league played a Christmas game on a Saturday was in 2010, when the Cardinals played host to the Dallas Cowboys. The league last had a Christmas doubleheader on a Saturday in 2004, the first time the NFL held a doubleheader on the holiday.
Green Bay will be playing in its third Christmas Day game and its first since 2011. This will be the first time the Packers will not host the Chicago Bears on Christmas (as they did in the previous two occasions). Arizona will also play on Christmas for the third time, and for the first time since 2010. The Cardinals have hosted a Christmas Day game twice in their history, both times against the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay and Arizona are both 1-1 on Christmas.
