Why Jared Goff says Detroit’s Thanksgiving tradition “feels different” now
The Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers for their annual Thanksgiving Day game this Thursday, and Jared Goff reflects on what that tradition means.
Thanksgiving in Detroit isn’t just about turkey, stuffing, and family gatherings. It’s also about football. For decades, the holiday has included the Detroit Lions taking center stage as fans across the country settle in for a full plate of NFL tradition. But for the players, the day can mean stepping away from family to perform on one of the league’s biggest annual stages.
For Lions quarterback Jared Goff, that stage has become something he now fully embraces.
“You want that feeling again”: Goff pens up about Lions’ Thanksgiving pressure
This year, Detroit opens the Thanksgiving tripleheader with a high-stakes NFC North matchup against the Green Bay Packers, a game with real playoff implications for both teams. As the Lions sit at 7–4 in a fiercely competitive division, the Packers (7–3-1) and the surging Bears (8–3) leave Detroit little margin for error. At 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, Goff will take the field in front of a sold-out Ford Field crowd, hoping to keep the Lions close to the top of the division.
Speaking with reporters this week, Goff reflected on what it means to be the quarterback of a team permanently linked to America’s Thanksgiving ritual.
“I’ve enjoyed this tradition, man. And it’s been fun to be a part of now for five years, and being able to get our first win in it last year was awesome, and taking that bite of the turkey. You want to get that feeling again.”
Detroit snapped a long drought last Thanksgiving with a thrilling 23–20 win over the Chicago Bears, their first holiday victory since 2016. That win pushed the Lions to an 11–1 record in what many believed was a potential Super Bowl season.
Your Madden Thanksgiving MVP: Jared Goff 🏆
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 28, 2024
The @Lions QB Spoke to @tracywolfson after a crazy win in Detroit pic.twitter.com/5liegej8tS
This year, expectations carried into the fall, but Detroit has cooled off amid injuries and tight games. Even so, the Lions enter Thanksgiving coming off an overtime win against the Giants, while their opponent arrives on a two-game win streak behind Jordan Love.
The holiday matchup is also a rematch of their Week 1 meeting, when Green Bay stunned Detroit 27–13. Asked whether the team can draw on that first meeting, Goff pushed back.
“We’re a different team. They’re a different team,” he said. “You look at what they did to beat us… but we’re different. They’re different.”
Playoff projections currently place Detroit just outside the bracket, making Thursday’s game even more significant. Green Bay, slotted around the No. 6 seed in most projections, becomes both a divisional and postseason obstacle.
A win over the Packers would put the Lions back in striking distance of the NFC North lead, and offer Goff another holiday moment worth savoring.
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