Denver Broncos: When was the last time the team played on Thanksgiving?

Travis Wakeman

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Denver Broncos: When was the last time the team played on Thanksgiving? image

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, which means a time for quality family time, good food, and great memories. But as the legendary John Madden often used to say, "There's just certain things that go together", meaning football and the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Every year, NFL fans are treated to a slate of games to go with their Thanksgiving feast. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys traditionally play every year on the holiday, but in recent years, the NFL has added a third game. 

The Denver Broncos have played in 11 Thanksgiving day games, going 4-7 in those contests. In fact, only seven teams have played on Thanksgiving more than Denver. However, it has been 15 years since the Broncos played on Thanksgiving. 

When was the last time the Broncos played on Thanksgiving?

The Broncos last played on Thanksgiving on November 26, 2009, handing the New York Giants a 26-6 defeat at Invesco Field. Both teams entered the game with matching 6-4 records and it was the Broncos that left no doubt as to who the better team was on that night. 

The Broncos used the combination of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter to rush 39 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. Matt Prater also kicked four field goals. 

But the story of the game was the Denver defense. They sacked Eli Manning three times and forced three turnovers. 

Denver Broncos Thanksgiving history

DateOpponentResult
November 22, 1962New York TitansLoss, 46-45
November 28, 1963Oakland RaidersLoss, 26-10
November 23, 1967San Diego ChargersLoss, 24-20
November 27, 1969Kansas City ChiefsLoss, 31-17
November 22, 1973Detroit LionsWin, 31-27
November 23, 1978Detroit LionsLoss, 17-14
November 22, 1990Detroit LionsLoss, 40-27
November 22, 2001Dallas CowboysWin, 26-24
November 24, 2005Dallas CowboysWin, 24-21 (OT)
November 23, 2006Kansas City ChiefsLoss, 19-10
November 26, 2009New York GiantsWin, 26-6

Since the Broncos had their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1962, the team's current 15-year absence from playing on the holiday is the longest in team history. Only six teams in the league have had a longer wait to play on Thanksgiving. 

Broncos fans will have to wait at least one more year before seeing the orange and blue as they enjoy their Thanksgiving feast. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.