Hallmark has taken the field.
In recent years, the network has become an NFL fan, producing its famed holiday movies with a twist of action on the gridiron. An unlikely union on the surface, Hallmark and the NFL have proven to be a match on the big screen – or whatever screen you happen to watch it on.
Starting with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, Hallmark has released an NFL-themed love story in each of the last two years with the Buffalo Bills in 2025 and the Chicago Bears in 2026.
Filled with cameos from coaches, players, legends and more, each film has something that makes it unique. Hallmark movies are often known for cheesy storylines and nauseatingly happy endings, and the NFL series is no different.
But that is what people want for the holidays
– even if that holiday is Christmas in July. The NFL is rarely a feel-good story for fans, unless your team is the one hoisting a Lombardi Trophy in February. In Hallmark though, everyone walks away feeling a little warmer than they did before pressing the "play" button.
And perhaps that's by design. If you're sitting there on a dark, chilly night wondering which Hallmark NFL movie to watch, this is for you – cozy blanket and hot drink not included.
NFL Hallmark movies ranked
3. Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story (2024)
There's no need to sugarcoat it. Hallmark's NFL debut came up short and there was no need for a virtual measurement. It felt forced and lacked the synergy you'd like to see from the cast. No one will ever mistake Hallmark movies for the bigger-budget films produced by some of the world's biggest directors.
That's not the point.
"Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story" felt like a movie that latched onto stereotypes of what it's like to be an NFL fan, rather than anything organic.
Most of the storyline centers on a lucky vintage beanie Santa gives one of the characters after they donate to a Salvation Army-style bucket. It's said that if you wear the hat on Christmas at the Chiefs game, then Kansas City's team is Super Bowl bound. Of course, the hat only guarantees the team will get there, not win it. After all, the magic has its limits.
That superstition is met with some skepticism by a new Chiefs employee, Derrick, who happens to be the team's director of fan engagement.
Of course, that skepticism is a slap in the face to Alana's family, who are in the running for the Chiefs' "Fan of the Year" award. The family operates a Chiefs fan store and isn't aware that Derrick is part of the group that will determine who gets the "Fan of the Year" honor.
Because this is Hallmark, Alana falls in love with Derrick and her family eventually wins the award after beating out a Chiefs' holiday display and a cat named "Catrick Mahomes."
Donna Kelce has the most prominent cameo appearance. Mecole Hardman, Trey Smith and Andy Reid are also featured in smaller speaking roles.
Like most things, the first attempt proved to be a learning experience for Hallmark – which needed a better storyline beyond "sports fans are superstitious."
2. Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (2026)
The most recent entry in Hallmark's NFL catalog, the Bears took center stage in 2026, and it's clear how far the network has come since bursting onto the scene in 2024.
There was a real storyline associated with the Bears movie, combined with a cast that looked like it didn't just meet on filming days. Chicago's biggest win is that it doesn't force the NFL story like it had a mandate that came down from the league office. And that is where the movie shines, showing that football isn't always about the game. It's about the community it creates.
Matt's grandmother, Darlene, is about to attend her 500th Bears game. It's an occasion that wouldn't have been made possible if she hadn't attended a game at Soldier Field with her late husband many moons ago. The couple saw many highs and lows, including a Super Bowl. And it wouldn't be the Bears without references to the 1985 team.
Darlene ends up playing matchmaker for her firefighter grandson, who had been out of the dating game since his last girlfriend left for a better job in San Diego – a mutual decision.
Hallmark returns to its romantic roots in this movie, casting Avery as a freelance journalist who never opted to settle down in one place. Avery isn't a football fan, even though her mother and stepfather are die-hard Bears fans. Still, the journalist gets the opportunity to write about Darlene and the looming milestone.
Darlene, who is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, is constantly moving along to the next thing – allowing Avery and Matt to craft their own love story.
They eventually end up as a couple (did you really think they wouldn't), Avery opts to stay in Chicago and Darlene celebrates her 500th game, even if she almost missed it to take care of her neighbor that was recovering from cancer. She is eventually greeted by Mike Singletary and Charles "Peanut" Tillman at Soldier Field, shortly before a video from Caleb Williams plays on the jumbotron to commemorate the milestone.
Ben Johnson, Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland are among the cameos, but it wasn't really about the current team. The Bears movie opted instead to highlight the team's charity efforts, telling a story of resilience and overcoming life's obstacles.
This is your classic Hallmark movie, with a side of the NFL sprinkled in. The Bears aren't the story. They are just part of it.
If you want to escape reality for about 90 minutes without conflict, this movie is for you.
1. Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story (2025)
Outside of the Green Bay Packers, there is no team in the NFL more perfect for a Hallmark movie than the Bills. It has the small-town feel. It has childhood friends who end up romantically involved, even if they were too afraid to admit their mutual interest.
In other words, it's everything you would expect from Hallmark.
The movie is almost like a blend of the other two on this list, even though it was the middle child of the NFL Hallmark series. The Bills are central to everything the movie does, but they aren't as overwhelming as the Chiefs or as distant as the Bears.
Consider it the "Goldilocks" of NFL involvement. Just right.
There is a clear buy-in from the Bills, with prominent cameos from Dion Dawkins and Damar Hamlin, Dawson Knox and others. Bills legends like Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Jim Kelly also joined the cast with now-former head coach Sean McDermott. And it wasn't just one scene for some of them. They made multiple appearances, making the story feel uniquely Buffalo.
The story follows Morgan and Gabe, two childhood friends who refuse to express their love for one another out of fear that it would ruin their existing relationship. The duo grew up next door to each other, with Morgan going on to be a doctor at the local hospital and Gabe becoming the president of stadium development for the new Highmark Stadium.
Together, the pair attempt to track down a mystery donor who helped support Morgan's family after her Uncle Tommy was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Now he receives a new Christmas ornament from the mysterious person every year.
Hoping to give him a Christmas to remember, Morgan and Gabe set out on a journey to identify the sender – who turns out to be Tommy's long-lost love interest, Mia. Eventually, Gabe orchestrates a surprise at the Bills game to reunite Tommy and Mia, proving that it's never too late for love.
By the end of the movie, Morgan and Gabe realize that they have feelings for each other and don't want to delay like her uncle did.
All of this is done with a clear love for the Bills, as families tailgate for the game on the front lawns of houses in the neighborhood – giving a Lambeau Field-like vibe. It has a splash of New York attitude and determination to it, evidenced by some pushy family members who aren't afraid to speak their minds.
The movie highlights the local children's hospital as part of the journey, along with the construction of the Bills' new stadium, which has since opened. With a central theme about expressing a love for community and legacy, the lasting message is a motivating one said by Tommy:
"In life, there’s gonna be pain," Tommy said. "And if you try to avoid it, it turns to regret. And you don’t want that living in your head rent-free. Time is a luxury. Don’t take it for granted.
"Take a chance."
If you're looking for a cozy Hallmark movie, perhaps Tommy's words are the best selling point.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hallmark's latest NFL movie is about the Bears. Where does it rank with Bills, Chiefs?
