So, you’re sitting on the couch, the wings are ordered, and you’re wondering: is there thursday night football today? It’s a fair question. Honestly, the NFL schedule used to be a lot more predictable than it is right now in January 2026. If you’re checking the calendar today, Friday, January 16, 2026, the short answer is a hard no. There is no game tonight.
Wait. Why?
Usually, we get spoiled with mid-week games from September through December. But once the calendar flips to mid-January, everything shifts into playoff mode. The NFL is a different beast this time of year. Last night was a Thursday, and even then, the lights were off at the stadiums. We are currently in the gap between the Super Wild Card Weekend and the Divisional Round. The league protects its players’ health—and its own TV ratings—by avoiding short-week turnarounds during the postseason. Nobody wants a star quarterback playing on three days of rest when a trip to the Super Bowl is on the line.
Why the Thursday Night Football Schedule Disappears in January
The regular season of the NFL is a marathon of 18 weeks. During that stretch, Amazon Prime Video holds the keys to Thursday nights. But that contract is specific to the regular season. Once the playoffs hit, the broadcasting rights shift entirely to the heavy hitters: CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN/ABC.
These networks pay billions. They aren't interested in sharing the spotlight with a Thursday slot that might dilute the weekend’s massive audience. Plus, the logistics are a nightmare. Imagine a team playing a grueling Monday night Wild Card game and then being asked to play again on Thursday? It would be a disaster for player safety. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has been vocal about this for years. While they begrudgingly accepted Thursday games during the regular season, the playoffs remain a weekend-only affair to ensure "peak performance," as Commissioner Roger Goodell often puts it during his press conferences.
✨ Don't miss: Why Cumberland Valley Boys Basketball Dominates the Mid-Penn (and What’s Next)
If you’re looking for football, you’ve gotta wait just a little bit longer. The Divisional Round kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, January 17.
The Confusion Around Late-Season Scheduling
One reason people get tripped up asking is there thursday night football today is because the NFL has become obsessed with "flex" scheduling and holiday special editions.
Think back to the Christmas games or the triple-header on Thanksgiving. The league has effectively conditioned us to expect football almost every day of the week. In the 2025-2026 season, we saw games on Wednesdays and even a heavy dose of Saturday games toward the end of December. This "NFL-ization" of the entire week makes the sudden silence of mid-January feel weird. It’s like a withdrawal symptom. You expect the theme music, the pre-game analysis, and the gambling lines, but the TV guide just shows reruns or local news.
The Amazon Prime era of TNF, which started back in 2022, changed how we consume the sport. According to Nielsen data, Thursday night viewership surged among younger demographics by nearly 15% this past season. People are used to it being there. But once Week 18 concludes, the Amazon deal effectively "sunsets" for the year.
🔗 Read more: What Channel is Champions League on: Where to Watch Every Game in 2026
What to Watch Instead This Weekend
Since tonight is a wash, you should probably prep for the absolute gauntlet of games coming up. The Divisional Round is arguably the best weekend in all of sports. The fluff is gone. The "just happy to be here" teams from the Wild Card round have been sent home. Now, we get the heavyweights.
- The Saturday Slate: Tomorrow features the top seeds who are coming off their bye weeks. They’ll be rested, but sometimes they’re rusty. Keep an eye on the weather reports for the games in the Northeast; early forecasts suggest a cold front that could turn these into "ground and pound" matchups.
- The Sunday Showdowns: This is where the legends are made. Historically, the Sunday evening slot in the Divisional Round pulls the highest non-Super Bowl ratings of the year.
The History of the Thursday Slot
It wasn't always this way. Thursday Night Football actually started as a late-season "special" on the NFL Network back in 2006. It was a way to boost subscriptions for the league's own channel. Back then, it only ran for eight weeks. It felt like a treat.
Slowly, the league realized they were leaving money on the table. They expanded it to a full-season package. They sold it to CBS, then NBC, then FOX, and eventually, the tech giants came knocking. Amazon’s $1 billion-per-year deal changed the landscape. Now, the "Color Rush" jerseys and the specific Thursday night vibe are part of the cultural fabric. But the one thing they haven't changed is the playoff cutoff. The NFL is protective of its "Playoff Saturday" and "Playoff Sunday" branding.
How to Check for Future Thursday Games
If you want to stay ahead of the curve for the 2026-2027 season, remember the "Week 17 Rule." Generally, the final week of the regular season does not have a Thursday game. The NFL wants all teams playing on Sunday to ensure maximum drama for playoff seeding. This prevents a team from knowing their fate early and resting starters, which would ruin the integrity of the final day's broadcasts.
💡 You might also like: Eastern Conference Finals 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
To verify the schedule in the future, don't just rely on your DVR. Check the official NFL app or the "Schedule" tab on ESPN. They update in real-time, especially when games are flexed. Flexing is a relatively new power the league has; they can move a "stinker" game out of the primetime slot and replace it with a high-stakes matchup, provided they give enough notice to the fans and the teams.
Actionable Steps for the Football Fan
Even though the answer to is there thursday night football today is no, you don't have to waste the evening. Here is how to prep for the massive weekend ahead:
- Check the Injury Reports: Since today is Friday, the final injury designations for Saturday’s games are now official. Look for "Doubtful" vs. "Questionable" tags. A "Questionable" tag in the playoffs usually means they’re playing, but they might be a step slow.
- Audit Your Subscriptions: The Divisional Round will be on broadcast TV (CBS/FOX/NBC). If you’ve been relying on streaming services like Amazon for your football fix, make sure your antenna is plugged in or your Peacock/Paramount+ subs are active so you don't miss the kickoff tomorrow.
- Review the Bracket: With the 14-team playoff format, the re-seeding process can be confusing. The highest remaining seed always plays the lowest remaining seed. Take five minutes to look at the bracket so you understand the path to the Super Bowl for your favorite team.
- Prep the Kitchen: Tomorrow is a double-header starting in the afternoon. If you’re hosting, do the grocery run tonight. The stores are always a nightmare on playoff Saturdays about two hours before the first kick.
The wait for live football is almost over. Enjoy the rare quiet night while you can, because starting tomorrow at 4:30 PM ET, it’s non-stop action until the AFC and NFC champions are crowned.