You’re staring at the remote. It’s Friday, January 16, 2026, and you’re wondering if you missed a kickoff or if there's a "bonus" Friday night game like the league occasionally flirts with. Well, if you’re looking for a live game right now, I have some bad news.
Are there nfl playoff games today? No.
Today is the "calm before the storm." We are currently sitting in the gap between the madness of Super Wild Card Weekend and the high-stakes Divisional Round. After the Houston Texans absolutely dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 this past Monday night, the league took a breather. It’s a literal Friday reset.
When do the NFL playoffs start back up?
Since there aren't any games today, you’ve probably got some time to kill before Saturday. The action picks back up tomorrow, Saturday, January 17, and it’s arguably the best weekend of the entire football calendar.
The Divisional Round is where the heavyweights finally show up. We’ve had the No. 1 seeds—the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks—sitting at home resting their legs and watching film. Tomorrow, that rest advantage gets put to the test.
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Here is what the immediate schedule looks like:
- Saturday, Jan 17 (4:30 PM ET): Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (CBS)
- Saturday, Jan 17 (8:00 PM ET): San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (FOX)
- Sunday, Jan 18 (3:00 PM ET): Houston Texans at New England Patriots (ABC/ESPN)
- Sunday, Jan 18 (6:30 PM ET): Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (NBC)
Basically, you have about 24 hours to get your snacks ready and argue with your friends about whether C.J. Stroud can actually walk into Foxborough and beat the Patriots. Honestly, that Texans-Patriots matchup is the one people are sleeping on. Everyone's talking about the 49ers and Seahawks rivalry, but Stroud vs. Drake Maye? That's the future of the AFC right there.
Why the NFL skips Friday playoff games
You might wonder why the NFL doesn't just throw a game on today. They do it for Black Friday, right? True. But the league generally avoids Fridays for the postseason to protect the "weekend event" status and to give teams that played on Monday night—like Houston—at least a semi-fair amount of recovery time.
Imagine playing a physical Wild Card game on Monday and then having to fly across the country for a Friday night Divisional game. The players' association would have a collective meltdown. Plus, the TV ratings on Saturday and Sunday are just too monstrous to mess with.
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The gap today also serves a logistical purpose. It’s the final day for teams to finalize their injury reports. If you're a Broncos fan, you're likely staring at the news feed today hoping for a "Full Participant" tag on your star pass rushers before Josh Allen brings that Buffalo offense into the thin air of Mile High.
Looking back: How we got here
If you're feeling a bit lost because you skipped the Wild Card round, here’s a quick refresher on why these specific teams are playing.
The 49ers pulled off a massive upset against the Eagles (23-19), which surprised a lot of people who thought Philly was a lock for a deep run. Meanwhile, the Rams barely escaped Carolina with a 34-31 win. That game was a heart-stopper. Matthew Stafford showed he’s still got that old-school grit, leading a 71-yard drive in the final minute.
Over in the AFC, the Bills took down the Jaguars in a 27-24 nail-biter. It was the first time Josh Allen actually looked like "Playoff Josh" this season, leading a late fourth-quarter drive that silenced the crowd in Jacksonville.
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What to do while you wait for tomorrow
Since there are no nfl playoff games today, use this Friday to get your betting lines in order or check your fantasy playoff brackets. The Broncos are currently 1.5-point favorites over the Bills, which is basically a toss-up. In the NFC, the Seahawks are favored by a full touchdown (-7) against the 49ers. That seems high for a divisional rivalry, but Seattle has been a juggernaut at home this year.
Don't expect much news today other than "Probable" or "Questionable" tags. It's a day of travel for the road teams and a day of final walkthroughs for the home seeds.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your local listings: Ensure your streaming services (Paramount+, Peacock, Fubo) are active, as the games are spread across four different networks this weekend.
- Monitor the Weather: Check the forecast for Denver and Chicago specifically. Cold weather or snow at Soldier Field could drastically change how you view the Rams vs. Bears matchup.
- Finalize rosters: if you are playing in a DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) contest for the Divisional Round, today is the day to lock in your "value" picks before the Saturday morning hype drives ownership percentages up.
The wait is almost over. Tomorrow afternoon, the road to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara officially hits high gear.