ARLINGTON, TX — Like a scene ripped straight from a Hallmark Christmas movie — complete with festive crowds, bright lights, and a rush of excitement — Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys fans stormed through the AT&T Stadium entrances a full two hours before kickoff, creating one of the most memorable pre-game atmospheres of this NFL season.

This wasn’t just another Thanksgiving matchup. It was one of the most highly anticipated NFL Thanksgiving Games in recent memory, featuring America’s Team hosting the league’s modern dynasty, led by the face of football himself: Patrick Mahomes.

And incredibly, despite his global superstar status, this game marked Mahomes’ first-ever NFL start against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The last time Kansas City played here, during his 2017 rookie season, Mahomes watched from the sidelines as a backup behind Alex Smith. This time, he returned as a two-time MVP, three-time Super Bowl champion, and the central figure in one of the NFL’s biggest holiday spectacles.

The AT&T Stadium doors have opened. Cowboys vs. Chiefs in two hours pic.twitter.com/3W2BfWKvnY

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 27, 2025

A Stampede of Fans: “It Looked Like a Holiday Shopping Rush”

Jon Machota of The Athletic captured the moment the stadium doors swung open — and the footage instantly went viral.

The video showed waves of Cowboys blue and Chiefs red pouring through the lobby, racing toward the lower bowl in hopes of claiming the best vantage points for warmups.
This wasn’t Black Friday at the mall, but the energy was surprisingly similar: excitement, urgency, and the thrill of knowing you’re part of something big.

Security staff and stadium workers could only watch as thousands of fans funneled inside, eager to secure their seats and soak up every second of the pre-game environment.

Thanksgiving Tradition Meets NFL Super-Event

Thanksgiving games in Dallas have always been special, but this matchup carried an even bigger spotlight:

• Mahomes vs the Cowboys, in Dallas, for the first time

• A meeting between two massive national fanbases

• A holiday game broadcast expected to draw one of the largest audiences of the season

The entire day felt like a cinematic setup — festive décor outside the stadium, tailgaters grilling early in the morning, fans chanting long before warmups, and the aura of two powerhouse franchises colliding.

Jerry Jones, Naturally, Doesn’t Mind the Early Rush

Of course, no one is happier about early-arriving fans than Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Pre-game concessions, merch shopping, and early-entry crowds are a financial dream for an owner who transformed the Cowboys franchise into the most valuable sports brand on the planet.

As one fan joked, “Jerry isn’t just smiling today — he’s counting.”

And with tens of thousands piling in hours early, business was booming long before the national anthem.

A Game Worth the Chaos

The pre-game frenzy only added to the anticipation of what many expected to be a statement game for both clubs:

• The Chiefs, looking to reinforce their claim as the league’s dynasty

• The Cowboys, eager to prove themselves on the biggest stage of the regular season

• And fans on both sides ready to turn Thanksgiving into a full-day football celebration

Whether you were there for Mahomes magic, the Cowboys’ star power, or just the holiday tradition, the early rush symbolized what this matchup meant to both fanbases.

A Hallmark Christmas scene? Maybe.
A chaotic holiday football moment? Absolutely.
A sign of just how massive this showdown was? Without question.