Report: Vikings “likely” to host Philadelphia on Thanksgiving

We’re not going to know what the 2019 NFL schedule looks like until just before this year’s NFL Draft, but there’s a rumor going around that the Minnesota Vikings could have a franchise first as part of the schedule.

Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that the Vikings could host a Thanksgiving Night game for the first time in their history, as it’s “likely” that they’ll be hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium.

For years, the only Thanksgiving Day games were hosted by the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. A few years ago, however, the NFL decided to add a third game to the Thanksgiving schedule, giving other teams an opportunity to host. The Vikings have not had that distinction yet, but it sounds like they could this season.

Here’s an interesting nugget from the SI media podcast that was posted on Wednesday: Host Jimmy Traina and guest John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal were talking about the NFL schedule and specifically Thanksgiving games, when Traina asked Ourand about the nightcap finale of the three-game slate.

“I didn’t actually write about this but I have head that Minnesota vs. Philadelphia is one that’s in play,” Ourand said around the 32 minute mark, adding later: “It’s not dead set, but I’m told that it’s pretty likely.”

So, what would you think about the Vikings hosting a game on Thanksgiving night, folks?