2026 NFL playoff schedule and bracket: Dates, times, TV for every round from wild card to Super Bowl

After one of the craziest seasons in NFL history, the playoffs are finally here, and so far, Wild Card Weekend has lived up to its name, because things have gotten wild. 

The postseason kicked off on Saturday with a doubleheader that saw both games go down to the wire. Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass with just 38 seconds left to lead the Rams to a 34-31 comeback win over the Panthers. In the second game, the Bears stormed back from an 18-point halftime deficit to stun the Packers, 31-27. Caleb Williams threw a 25-yard scoring pass with just under two minutes left to play for the game-winning score. 

The win for the Bears was the largest postseason comeback in franchise history. It was also the third-largest fourth quarter comeback in NFL playoff history. 

After a wild opening day, the drama continued on Sunday with the Bills pulling off a 27-24 win over the Jaguars in a game that saw four lead changes in the fourth quarter. The Bills will now head to the divisional round for the sixth straight year. 

In the second game on Sunday, there was more madness with the 49ers pulling off the biggest upset of the opening round with a 23-19 win over the Eagles. With San Francisco's win, that ends Philadelphia's bid to become the NFC's first repeat Super Bowl champ in more than 30 years. It also means that the NFC West is now just the second division over the past 25 years to send three teams to the divisional round. The 49ers will be joining the Rams and Seahawks

The final game on Sunday will take place in New England where the Patriots will host the Chargers. 

With that in mind, let's get to the full playoff schedule. 

NFL Wild Card Weekend odds, predictions, expert picks: Best bets, where to watch, NFL playoffs, stream, more

Tyler Sullivan

NFL Wild Card Weekend odds, predictions, expert picks: Best bets, where to watch, NFL playoffs, stream, more
Wild Card WeekendSaturday, Jan. 10

(5) Rams 34-31 over (4) Panthers

Rams vs. Panthers recap: The Panthers almost pulled off the upset, but they couldn't stop Matthew Stafford with the game on the line. With the Rams trailing 31-27, Stafford engineered a 71-yard game-winning scoring drive that ended when he hit Colby Parkinson with a 19-yard touchdown with just 38 seconds left to play. Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the win. 

(2) Bears 31-27 over (7) Packers

Packers vs. Bears recap: The Bears pulled off the third-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history. Going into the final quarter, the Bears were trailing by 15 points, but they were able to erase that deficit during a miracle quarter where they outscored the Packers, 25-6. Caleb Williams threw for more yardage (184) in the fourth quarter than he did in the first three quarters combined (177). Williams capped things off with a 25-yard score to DJ Moore with just 1:43 left to win the game. Sunday, Jan. 11

(6) Bills 27-24 over (3) Jaguars

Bills vs. Jaguars recap: For the first time in his career, Josh Allen led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. The Bills' franchise quarterback scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with just one minute left to play. Allen also threw a 15-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to help propel Buffalo to the win. Allen totaled 306 yards and three touchdowns in the win. For the Bills, it was their first road playoff win in 33 years. 

(6) 49ers 23-19 over (3) Eagles

49ers vs. Eagles recap: The 49ers pulled off a shocker by going on the road and knocking off the Eagles. After losing George Kittle, the 49ers had some unlikely heroes, including Demarcus Robinson, who caught six passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Christian McCaffrey also came up big with two touchdowns, including the game-winning score, which came on a 4-yard pass from Brock Purdy with just 2:54 left to play. 

(7) Chargers at (2) Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 12Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan. 17

AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 4:30 p.m. ET AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 8 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 18

AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 3 p.m. ETAFC or NFC divisional matchup, 6:30 p.m. ET

AFC divisional round games: 

TBA at (1) BroncosTBA vs. (6) Bills

AFC NOTE: The Broncos will host the Bills if the Patriots beat the Chargers on Sunday night. If the Chargers pull off the upset, then Buffalo will face the winner of the Texans-Steelers game. 

NFC divisional round games:

(6) 49ers at (1) Seahawks(5) Rams at (2) Bears

NOTE: The divisional round schedule is expected to be released at some point on Sunday night.  

Championship Sunday

Sunday, Jan. 25

AFC Championship, 3 p.m. ET (CBS)NFC Championship, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox)Super Bowl LX

Sunday, Feb. 8

AFC champion vs. NFC champion at Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California), 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

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