2026 NFL Playoffs: NFL Playoff Schedule
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Posted on Jan 13, 2026 | 08:00am
In the NFL, to make the playoffs, you need a top-notch game plan that's expertly executed across the regular season. Sound challenging? It is. To watch the playoffs, you pretty much just need to read this (or, our watch guide to the 2026 NFL playoffs!) – and you'll be prepped and ready to go. Sound doable? Let's go.
Scroll on for the 2026 NFL playoff schedule, including Saturday's Bills-Broncos game, and an overview of the postseason format.
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Wild Card round
Results
Divisional round
Upcoming
Championship round
Upcoming
AFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
Super Bowl
Super Bowl LX
Overall, the Broncos, Pats, Texans, Bills, Seahawks, Bears, Rams, and 49ers remain in the hunt for berths in Super Bowl LX.
Here's a complete look at the NFL Playoff seedings:
AFC
NFC
The AFC playoff bracket consists of the winners of the four conference divisions – the AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West – plus, three Wild Card teams. This year's division winners were: the Patriots (AFC East), Steelers (AFC North), Jaguars (AFC South), and Broncos (AFC West).
The same goes for the NFC: There are four division winners (of the NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, respectively), and three Wild Card teams. The NFC division winners were: the Eagles (NFC East), Bears (NFC North), Panthers (NFC South), and Seahawks (NFC West).
A Wild Card team is a non-division-winning team that boasts one of the seven best records in its conference.
The postseason rounds occur in this order: Wild Card games, Divisional play, the conference Championship games, and, finally, Super Bowl action. The No. 1 seeds from the AFC and NFC earn first-round byes; they get to skip the Wild Card round, and advance directly to Divisional play. This year's No. 1 seeds are the Broncos (AFC) and Seahawks (NFC). Those teams need to secure two big wins to advance to Super Bowl play; all the other postseason teams, from the No. 2 seed to the No. 7 seed in each conference, need to pull off three wins.
The neutral-site Super Bowl LX, meanwhile, is scheduled to be played at Levi's Stadium, the regular-season home of the 49ers, in Santa Clara, California.
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Scroll on for the 2026 NFL playoff schedule, including Saturday's Bills-Broncos game, and an overview of the postseason format.
What is the 2026 NFL playoff schedule?
The 2026 NFL playoff schedule is below. This is a round-by-round look at how we'll go from the first postseason games all the way to the ultimate event: Super Bowl LX. The schedule comes complete with final scores of completed games. It's current as of publication, and is subject to change. Check back for updates – on team matchups, game times, and TV assignments.Wild Card round
Results
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
- Teams: Rams 34-Panthers 31 (NFC)
- Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
- Teams: Packers 27-Bears 31 (NFC)
- Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
- Teams: Bills 27-Jaguars 24 (AFC)
- Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
- Teams: 49ers 23-Eagles 19 (NFC)
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026
- Teams: Chargers 3-Patriots 16 (AFC)
- Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
- Teams: Texans 30-Steelers 6 (AFC)
- Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Divisional round
Upcoming
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026
- Time: 4:30 PM ET
- Teams: Bills at Broncos (AFC)
- Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver Colorado
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026
- Time: 8 PM ET
- Teams: 49ers at Seahawks (NFC)
- Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- Channel: FOX
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
- Time: 3 PM ET
- Teams: Texans at Patriots (AFC)
- Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Channel: ABC
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM ET
- Teams: Rams at Bears (NFC)
- Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Channel: NBC
Championship round
Upcoming
AFC Championship Game
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
- Time: 3 PM ET
- Teams: TBD
- Location: TBD
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+
NFC Championship Game
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM ET
- Teams: TBD
- Location: TBD
- Channel: FOX
Super Bowl
Super Bowl LX
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM ET
- Teams: AFC champion vs. NFC champion
- Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock
Who is in the NFL playoffs?
The Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Steelers, Texans, Bills, Chargers, Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, Panthers, Rams, 49ers, and Packers qualified for the 2025-2026 NFL playoffs. After losing their Wild Card weekend games, the Jags, Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Panthers, and Packers have been eliminated. The Eagles' defeat means we know one thing for sure about how this year's postseason saga will play out: We won't have a repeat Super Bowl champion.Overall, the Broncos, Pats, Texans, Bills, Seahawks, Bears, Rams, and 49ers remain in the hunt for berths in Super Bowl LX.
Here's a complete look at the NFL Playoff seedings:
AFC
- Broncos* (14-3)
- Patriots* (14-3)
- Jaguars* (13-4) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
- Steelers* (10-7) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
- Texans (12-5)
- Bills (12-5)
- Chargers (11-6) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
NFC
- Seahawks* (14-3)
- Bears* (11-6)
- Eagles* (11-6) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
- Panthers* (8-9) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
- Rams (12-5)
- 49ers (12-5)
- Packers (9-7-1) (Note: Eliminated in Wild Card round)
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
A total of 14 teams make the NFL playoffs -- seven from the AFC, and seven from the NFC.The AFC playoff bracket consists of the winners of the four conference divisions – the AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West – plus, three Wild Card teams. This year's division winners were: the Patriots (AFC East), Steelers (AFC North), Jaguars (AFC South), and Broncos (AFC West).
The same goes for the NFC: There are four division winners (of the NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, respectively), and three Wild Card teams. The NFC division winners were: the Eagles (NFC East), Bears (NFC North), Panthers (NFC South), and Seahawks (NFC West).
A Wild Card team is a non-division-winning team that boasts one of the seven best records in its conference.
NFL playoff format: How do the NFL playoffs work?
The NFL playoffs work like this, briefly: Through three rounds of single-elimination, win-or-go home games, the AFC and NFC postseason teams are whittled down to two, one from each conference, who meet in search of history on the Super Bowl stage.The postseason rounds occur in this order: Wild Card games, Divisional play, the conference Championship games, and, finally, Super Bowl action. The No. 1 seeds from the AFC and NFC earn first-round byes; they get to skip the Wild Card round, and advance directly to Divisional play. This year's No. 1 seeds are the Broncos (AFC) and Seahawks (NFC). Those teams need to secure two big wins to advance to Super Bowl play; all the other postseason teams, from the No. 2 seed to the No. 7 seed in each conference, need to pull off three wins.
Where will NFL playoff games be played?
In the first three rounds of the postseason, NFL playoff games are played at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams. In bracketology, remember: the lower your seed number (a la, No. 1) the higher your bracket ranking, and vice versa. So, for instance, in Saturday's Bills-Broncos Divisional game, the Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, will host the showdown at their Empower Field at Mile High against the No. 6-seeded Bills.The neutral-site Super Bowl LX, meanwhile, is scheduled to be played at Levi's Stadium, the regular-season home of the 49ers, in Santa Clara, California.