You’ve probably got the routine down by now. Thursday hits, you wrap up work, grab some wings, and settle in for Amazon Prime’s kickoff. But if you’re looking for what NFL game is on Thursday night this week, January 22, 2026, I’ve got some bad news for your couch.
There isn't one.
Honestly, it catches people off guard every single year. We spend four months getting conditioned to mid-week football, and then suddenly, the league just yanks the rug out from under us once the playoffs hit high gear. The 2025-2026 regular season wrapped up its Thursday night slate back on Christmas Day when the Denver Broncos took down the Kansas City Chiefs 20-13. Since then, the lights have been dark on Thursdays.
The Reality of the Postseason Schedule
The NFL is a creature of habit and television contracts. Once we move past the Wild Card round—which, by the way, gave us that wild Monday night game where the Houston Texans handled the Steelers—the schedule tightens up significantly.
The league wants the biggest possible audiences for the Divisional Round and the Conference Championships. Thursdays are great for mid-season "inventory," but for the high-stakes games leading to Super Bowl LX, they want the massive weekend windows.
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Basically, the NFL doesn't want to force a team to play a do-or-die playoff game on short rest. Could you imagine the outrage if the Seattle Seahawks had to travel across the country for an NFC Championship game on a Thursday after playing a grueling Divisional game on Sunday? It would be a player safety nightmare and, frankly, the quality of football would probably suck.
Where Did the Football Go?
If you’re wondering what NFL game is on Thursday night because you need a fix, you’re going to have to wait until Sunday, January 25. That is the big one. Championship Sunday.
We are down to the final four. After a Divisional Round that saw the Seahawks absolutely dismantle the 49ers 41-6 at Lumen Field, the bracket is set. The energy in Seattle right now is basically a fever dream of 2013-era "Legion of Boom" vibes.
Championship Sunday Times (January 25, 2026)
- AFC Championship Game: 3:00 PM ET on CBS.
- NFC Championship Game: 6:30 PM ET on FOX.
The winners of these two games head straight to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on February 8. It’s a long gap, I know. Sitting through a Thursday without a game feels weirdly empty, like you forgot to lock the front door.
Why Amazon Doesn't Have Playoff Games
A lot of people keep checking their Prime Video app. It makes sense. Amazon paid a king's ransom to be the home of Thursday night football, but that deal is strictly for the regular season.
While they did get a piece of the Wild Card action—specifically that Packers vs. Bears matchup on January 10—their contract doesn't extend into the deep postseason. The heavy hitters like CBS, FOX, and NBC still hold the keys to the Divisional and Championship rounds.
If you're looking for something to watch tonight instead, you're mostly looking at college basketball or hitting your streaming watchlist. There isn't even a College Football Playoff game to bridge the gap this time, as those wrapped up earlier in the month with the semifinals on January 8.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Playoff Calendar
The biggest misconception is that the NFL "flexes" playoff games into Thursday nights if the matchups are good enough. They don't. The playoff schedule is baked into the calendar months in advance.
Another thing? People often mistake the "Thursday Night Football" brand for any game played on a Thursday. But even during the regular season, the Thanksgiving games (like that wild shootout where the Cowboys beat the Chiefs 31-28) are technically "special presentations" and often air on NBC or CBS, not the standard Prime Video TNF crew.
Actionable Next Steps for the Weekend
Since you've got a free night tonight, use it to get your setup ready for Sunday. Championship Sunday is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Check Your Local Listings: Confirm you have access to CBS and FOX. If you’re a cord-cutter, make sure your YouTube TV, Fubo, or Paramount+ subscriptions are active.
- Update Your Apps: If you plan on streaming the AFC game via Paramount+, update the app now. Nothing ruins a game like a forced 500MB update at kickoff.
- Plan the Food: Since there's no game tonight, it's the perfect time to do the grocery run. The stores will be a nightmare on Saturday afternoon.
- Monitor Injury Reports: Keep an eye on the Seahawks and Broncos news. With no game tonight, the practice reports coming out today are the most vital indicators of who will actually be healthy for the weekend's titles.
The Thursday night void is real, but the payoff on Sunday is going to be massive. We're days away from knowing who's going to the Super Bowl.