We have reached Thanksgiving Week, that traditional time on the NFL calendar where some teams and their fans start thinking about the playoffs, while others start dreaming of a new future delivered via the draft and free agency.
Of course, 2020 has been a year unlike any other. It has been a year that recalibrated our expectations, our beliefs, and our thoughts about what truly matters. For many, this holiday will be marked in new and different ways. Trips to grandma’s house will be done virtually, the stuffing will be passed over Zoom, and the family games of football in the backyard might be done through Madden on a new XBox or Playstation.
And sadly, for some who gather there will be an empty chair at the table, a brutal reminder of the year we have lived through together.
But this year has also taught us some lessons. Lessons about the beauty that can be found in both the new and the mundane. Lessons about what does matter. Stolen glances while teaching the kids math that neither of you ever learned. Giggles as Grammie and Grampy figure out their first Zoom meeting. Smiles as Grandpa and Grandma come outside to see a distanced birthday party and a house decorated under cover of night. Smiles as the kids log in to school each morning and a chorus of voices ring out, calling their names.
For as hard as 2020 has been, there is still beauty and goodness to be found, and things to be thankful for this holiday season. Sometimes, it just takes a little longer to look for them.
The same can be said for all 32 NFL teams. Each organization and fan base has something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. But for some, it takes a little longer to find it.
In that spirit, our weekly Overreactions piece is a bit different this holiday week. Here is something every team and fan base can be thankful for right now.