“I’m not a fan”: Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown admits Christmas games frustrate players as family time takes a back seat

Christmas games look festive on television, but inside NFL locker rooms, they often come with frustration. As the league keeps adding marquee matchups to major holidays, players are finding themselves torn between chasing wins and missing time that cannot be replaced. This week, that conflict shows up clearly as the Detroit Lions prepare to face the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day at US Bank Stadium. For fans, the equation is simple. A holiday game means more football, more drama, and playoff implications. For players, it means travel, preparation, and another family celebration spent away from home. Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown summed up that frustration honestly while speaking on the December 24 episode of the St. Browns podcast, a day before Detroit takes the field.

Lions players voice frustration as NFL stacks holiday games

St. Brown explained that the issue is not about effort or commitment, but about losing moments that matter. He pointed out that Detroit already played on Thanksgiving and now finds itself scheduled again on Christmas. “How do I feel about playing on Christmas Day, and we had Thanksgiving? I’m not a fan. We got the two biggest holidays. I feel like, in the United States, we played on both of them, and I don’t have kids yet. Like if I had kids, I’d be even more pissed, like you can’t really spend it with your family,” Brown said.
He later made the point even clearer while talking about what players miss back home. “If I had kids, I’d be even more pissed. You can’t spend (the Holidays) with your family, you don’t get to see your kids open gifts.”
Still, St. Brown is not backing away from the challenge. He enjoys playing Minnesota and understands how important this game is for Detroit’s postseason hopes. The Lions sit at eight wins and need every advantage they can get. They also need help elsewhere, including a loss by the Green Bay Packers, who are second in the NFC North with nine wins.
St. Brown is not the only Lion unhappy with the holiday schedule. Right tackle Penei Sewell shared similar feelings earlier this month. “I’m going to be brutally honest. I’m not happy,” Sewell said in an MLive interview on December 18. “We already play on Thanksgiving, and the fact that we have to play on Christmas (and) away, is something I wouldn’t want to do.”
Around the league, this is nothing new. Last Christmas, players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers raised similar concerns, including Patrick Mahomes, Justin Reid, and Chris Jones, who even mentioned involving the NFL Players Association. The NFL continues to push forward, fueled by major holiday deals like its $150 million agreement with Netflix.


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