Completing 22 of his 32 pass attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Jordan Love enjoyed a standout performance in the Green Bay Packers’ upset victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Many — including Love, himself — however, were disappointed when Fox failed to present the Packers quarterback with a postgame turkey leg following his MVP-caliber holiday performance.
“You’re looking for a turkey leg, we don’t have one,” Fox’s Erin Andrews told Love during his on-field postgame interview before informing him that Fox would instead be making a charitable donation on his behalf.
While the donation was a nice gesture, many fans were left confused why Fox didn’t have a turkey leg ready for Love, especially on a day that the NFL was honoring John Madden, who started the tradition of presenting the Thanksgiving Day MVP with a drumstick in the late-1980s. Social media sleuths and eagle eyed viewers were quick to recall a segment earlier in the game, in which Fox’s Greg Olsen displayed — and picked apart — Madden’s signature bird, the turducken, for viewers at home.
It didn’t take long for the conspiracy theory to spread: the reason why Love didn’t get his postgame turkey leg was because Olsen had already devoured it.
“Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love’s Special Thanksgiving Moment Was Ruined By Greg Olsen’s Disgusting Actions On Live TV,” read the headline on one Wisconsin sports blog.
“Greg Olsen absolutely destroying the turducken is the reason why Love didn’t get a leg after the win,” someone posted to the Packers’ Reddit page.
The theory became so widespread — and widely accepted — that Olsen took to social media to address it.
“PSA- I did NOT eat Jordan Love Turducken in the box! That was always for the booth!” Olsen posted on X (formerly Twitter), along with a series of emojis including a crying laughing face, a turkey, a duck, and curiously, a rooster. “Great game and Happy Thanksgiving! Now back to my family to enjoy the rest of the game!”
Fox’s lead analyst later reposted a viral post alleging he was the reason why Love didn’t get his turkey leg, further denying the accusation.
While Fox has yet to provide an official reason why Love didn’t get his turkey leg, the best explanation might be that it was never in the plans. While Madden made the postgame turkey leg presentation famous during his time at Fox in the 1990s, the tradition has often been reserved for Thanksgiving’s primetime game in recent years. In fact, following Madden’s departure from the network after the 2001 season, Fox attempted to replace the turkey leg with a litany of souvenirs, including the short-lived “Galloping Gobbler.”
Still, while the postgame turkey leg might not be a recent Fox tradition, the fact that so many viewers were perplexed by the network not having one ready for Love indicates that the network should have been ready to meet the moment — especially on a day honoring Madden. Fortunately for football fans, the CBS broadcast — or at least the Dallas Cowboys — were more prepared, as we later got the now-iconic of Dak Prescott celebrating his team’s victory with a sideline drumstick.
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBCs Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.
“Kleiman” relayed a May podcast discussing Chip Kelly, who hasnt coached in the NFL since 2016, as if it was new.
“Kleiman” relayed a May podcast discussing Chip Kelly, who hasnt coached in the NFL since 2016, as if it was new.
The Green Bay Packers’ defeat of the Dallas Cowboys on November 13th was a thrilling game for fans. But after the win, sharp-eyed viewers noticed something odd – the Packers did not receive the traditional turkey leg trophy! This break from NFL Thanksgiving tradition left many scratching their heads. As a cheesehead myself, I decided to dig into the mystery of why my beloved Packers didn’t get a turkey this year.
A Brief History of the NFL’s Thanksgiving Turkey Tradition
Giving the winning team a turkey leg trophy after Thanksgiving games began in 1989 by John Madden and Pat Summerall on CBS. It was a fun way to incorporate the holiday spirit into football. The turkey leg was awarded on-air to a standout player from the winning team.
This quirky tradition caught on over the years, with various broadcasters and teams getting into the act. It became an iconic way to celebrate NFL Thanksgiving victories. Players even began fake-chomping on prop turkey legs during touchdowns and celebrations.
So Why Didn’t the Packers Get One This Year?
It turns out there’s no NFL rule that says turkey legs must be awarded. It’s not an “official” league tradition – it’s something started spontaneously by broadcasters And different networks have different styles for Thanksgiving coverage
The Packers game aired on FOX this year, and their pre-game/post-game crew simply decided not to carry on the turkey leg tradition for whatever reason. No scandal or snub – just a decision to forego the leg!
Some speculate FOX wanted to focus coverage more on football analysis than silly food props. Others believe prop turkey legs have become a bit passé and overdone in recent years.
Regardless, it was an odd break from expected NFL Thanksgiving norms that left Packers fans scratching their heads after the big win.
Do Players Even Eat the Turkey Legs?
In reality, the on-air turkey legs are just plastic props – not actual edible food! They’re fakes made of foam rubber or other non-food materials.
The one exception was during John Madden’s first turkey leg award in 1989. This inaugural leg came from an actual Thanksgiving bird cooked by CBS. After that, only prop legs were used on-air.
So while players love hamming it up with the legs on camera, they don’t actually get to enjoy any turkey meat. It’s not part of post-game meals provided by teams.
Speaking of which…
What Do Teams Actually Eat on Thanksgiving?
Behind the scenes, NFL teams have their own catering arrangements for holidays like Thanksgiving. The menus focus on performance-boosting foods, not heavy holiday meals.
Common options include pastas, chicken, lean meats, veggies, carb-loading sides, protein shakes and nutrition bars. Some dishes may incorporate Thanksgiving flavors like roasted turkey, stuffing or cranberry sauce. But the priority is nutrition rather than a food coma!
So in the Packers’ locker room, there was plenty of good food – just no dramatic turkey legs for the cameras.
Other Fun Turkey Traditions in Packers History
While the Packers didn’t get a turkey on Thanksgiving this year, the team does have some amusing turkey-related moments in its history books:
-
In 1989, a live turkey was infamously released onto the field at Lambeau, disrupting a Packers/Colts game. The incident was dubbed the “Turkey Bowl.”
-
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi was quoted as saying “What the hell is going on around here? This is the Packers, not the Turkeys!” after a bad loss in the 60s.
-
The Packers have a turkey pin they award to the player who commits the worst blunder in a loss. Not quite as appetizing as a leg!
So the mystery is solved – no scandal or snub here. Just an odd twist that broke from tradition and left Packers fans wondering where their turkey leg was. Here’s hoping we see triumphant players once again chomping on giant foam drumsticks next Thanksgiving!
Where is Jordan Love’s turkey leg?
FAQ
Why didn’t Jordan Love get turkey?
Why didn’t Fox give turkey legs?
Why did the Packers stay in Green Bay?
How did the Packers get their nickname?
Did the Packers send a Turkey on the field?
It was Week 11 when the Packers were playing the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 13, 1988. The Colts were facing a third-and-2 in the first half and close to scoring when a turkey made its way onto the field. “There’s a turkey on the field,” the announcer said laughing. “Packer fans trying to gobble up a win have sent a turkey onto the field.”
What happened to the Packers Turkey?
The turkey was sent to a Brown County reforestation camp and even was “pardoned” by Thompson, then the governor, a couple weeks before Thanksgiving as the incident gained a lot of attention. When will the Packers turkey segment air?
Did Fox fail to present Packers quarterback with a turkey leg?
Many — including Love, himself — however, were disappointed when Fox failed to present the Packers quarterback with a postgame turkey leg following his MVP-caliber holiday performance.
How did the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving?
In the first game on Thanksgiving, the Green Bay Packers stunned the Detroit Lions 29-22. Green Bay and Detroit both scored touchdowns on their first possessions of the game, but turnovers ended up being costly for the Lions.