2026 NFL Playoffs: NFL Playoff Schedule

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 rundown, and you’ll be prepped and ready to go. Sound doable? Let’s go.

Scroll on for the 2026 NFL playoff schedule, and an overview of the postseason format.

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What is the 2026 NFL playoff schedule?

The 2026 NFL playoff schedule is below. This is a round-by-round look at how we went 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.

Results

Wild Card round

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

Date: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026
Teams: Bills 30-Broncos 33 (OT) (AFC)
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver Colorado

Date: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026
Teams: 49ers 6-Seahawks 41 (NFC)
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
Teams: Texans 16-Patriots 28 (AFC)
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
Teams: Rams 20-Bears 17 (OT) (NFC)
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Championship round

AFC Championship Game

Date: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
Teams: Patriots 10-Broncos 7
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver Colorado

NFC Championship Game

Date: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
Teams: Rams 27-Seahawks 31
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Upcoming

Super Bowl

Super Bowl LX

Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM ET
Teams: Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock

Who is in the NFL playoffs?

The 2025-2026 NFL playoffs started with 14 teams. The Jaguars, Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Panthers, and Packers were eliminated in the Wild Card round. The Bills, 49ers, Texans, and Bears fell in the Divisional round, with the Broncos and Rams eliminated in the conference championship games. That leaves just two teams still alive: the AFC champion Patriots, and the NFC champion Seahawks. Those squads will meet at Super Bowl LX.

Here’s a complete look at the NFL Playoff seedings:

AFC

Broncos* (14-3) (Eliminated in Championship round)
Patriots* (14-3)
Jaguars* (13-4) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)
Steelers* (10-7) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)
Texans (12-5) (Eliminated in Divisional round)
Bills (12-5) (Eliminated in Divisional round)
Chargers (11-6) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)

*Division winner

NFC

Seahawks* (14-3)
Bears* (11-6) (Eliminated in Divisional round)
Eagles* (11-6) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)
Panthers* (8-9) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)
Rams (12-5) (Eliminated in Championship round)
49ers (12-5) (Eliminated in Divisional round)
Packers (9-7-1) (Eliminated in Wild Card round)

*Division winner

How many teams make the NFL playoffs?

As noted above, 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 were the Broncos (AFC) and Seahawks (NFC).

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 the 2026 AFC Championship Game, the No. 1-seeded Broncos hosted the showdown at their Empower Field at Mile High against the No. 2-seeded Patriots.

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.