OWINGS MILLS, Md. — When Lamar Jackson was asked if playing on Christmas for the second consecutive year held any special significance for him, he took a moment to reflect before responding. His pause spoke volumes.
“I mean, it is,” he eventually stated, aiming for a diplomatic tone. “That means we’re doing well, but at the same time, I would like to celebrate at home occasionally with my family. I don’t want to be playing on Christmas all the time — not all the time.”
This sentiment was echoed among many players of the Baltimore Ravens as they geared up for another Christmas game, this time against the Houston Texans on Wednesday. Earlier the same day, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Christmas games are not a new phenomenon in the NFL, the league seems to be embracing this festive scheduling more aggressively in recent seasons. Notably, the Miami Dolphins’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a double-overtime playoff game on December 25, 1971, remains etched in NFL history as the longest game ever played.
In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara matched an NFL record with six touchdowns in a Christmas game against Minnesota. In recent years, the league has arranged multiple games on Christmas. Last year saw three matchups on a Monday, while this week features two games. The four teams participating on Wednesday played just last Saturday, giving them a slight edge in their preparation time, although they are navigating a busy schedule of three games over 11 days.
For teams like Baltimore and Kansas City, which are spending the holiday away from home, finding time for holiday celebrations can be challenging. “Santa hasn’t come yet, but my family and I exchanged gifts over the weekend,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes shared. “Brittany is a champ because I’m not available to assist in building the toys for my family, and the kids have already opened up everything.”
The Chiefs have found themselves playing on Christmas for the second consecutive year, although they enjoyed home-field advantage last season. Baltimore’s offensive tackle, Ronnie Stanley, mentioned an offensive line Christmas gathering planned for the following Friday at the house of center Tyler Linderbaum. Jackson himself intends to celebrate with family on Thursday.
“I already celebrated Christmas with my family last week,” remarked Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton. “It’s more about calling people on Christmas morning and having the opportunity to play in front of my family while doing what I love. That’s my way of celebrating.”
The Ravens have already enjoyed some holiday festivities as a team. “We actually held a team dinner last night, which was really nice. Our chefs did an incredible job with the meal,” remarked coach John Harbaugh. “We will also allow family members from the Houston area to join us for a team snack after our walkthrough on Tuesday night.”
Christmas Day games are likely here to stay, especially after Netflix secured a three-year contract in May to stream holiday matches. Competing on a holiday certainly provides teams with a unique platform, although both the Chiefs and Ravens are no strangers to media attention.
The game between the Ravens and Texans will feature a special halftime performance by Beyoncé. Harbaugh humorously referenced an incident involving Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who was caught watching a past Super Bowl halftime show. “Wasn’t there someone peeking outside the locker room door during the Super Bowl?” Harbaugh asked jokingly. “He got in trouble for it? There will be some big trouble. I like Beyoncé, though. Can’t say I’m a huge fan, but I appreciate her.”
Jackson, seemingly oblivious to Harbaugh’s lighthearted warning about the halftime show, added, “I’m definitely going to check it out. It’ll be my first time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game — that’s pretty awesome. Don’t worry, Coach, I’m definitely going to watch.”
