The NFL playoff picture is complete after the Steelers snatched the final berth by beating the Ravens in dramatic fashion to end a Week 18 surprisingly light on meaningful stakes. Key pieces of information were secured early in the day, with Denver joining Seattle as the top seeds in their respective conferences while Jacksonville and Carolina wrapped up division titles.
At halftime of the Sunday night game the full Wild Card round schedule was revealed. Check out the full slate here and read on for further analysis of the slate.
The Wild Card Weekend schedule is HERE. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/r4pm7OgEOh
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2026
NFL Wild Card Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 10
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at Carolina Panthers (8-9): 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX
- Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) at Chicago Bears (11-6): 8:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video
The 4:30 Saturday window has been the AFC South invitational for years but the NFL changed things up this year with the Panthers making their return to the postseason there against the Los Angeles Rams. These teams met earlier this season, with Carolina upsetting Los Angeles 31-28 in Week 13 in a contest that helped springboard the Panthers' postseason surge.
The Saturday night game will again be on Prime Video and feature the rubber match between the Packers and Bears at Soldier Field. The teams split their two regular season meetings with each winning on their home field, which would give the edge to Chicago if the trend continues.
Sunday, Jan. 11
- Buffalo Bills (12-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4): 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-6): 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at New England Patriots (14-3): 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC
The early game on Sunday will be on CBS as Buffalo travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. The two teams did not meet this season, and the same is true for the other two games on the Sunday slate.
The marquee game of the day is the 4:30 p.m. showdown between San Francisco and Philadelphia, which is a rematch of the 2022 NFC Championship Game, which was infamously won by the Eagles after the 49ers had no healthy quarterbacks available thanks to early injuries to Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson.
The nightcap between the Chargers and Patriots will be the first playoff exposure for Drake Maye, who has a great shot to be named the NFL's MVP after an outstanding regular season. Justin Herbert didn't play for Los Angeles in Week 18 as the Chargers opted to give him a breather before a run of three road playoff games if they are to reach the Super Bowl.
Monday, Jan. 12
- Houston Texans (12-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers: 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC
The final game of the weekend comes on Monday night as Houston faces the winner of the AFC North. The Texans did not play the Steelers this season.