If you’re waking up this Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, and looking for what time the carolina panthers play today, I have some news that might be a little tough to swallow. Honestly, it's the kind of Sunday where you want to settle into your favorite chair at Bank of America Stadium or turn on FOX, but the Panthers aren't actually on the schedule.
They aren't playing. Not today.
The Panthers' surprising and genuinely gritty 2025-2026 season officially came to a close last weekend. After defying basically every expert prediction to win the NFC South with an 8-9 record, Carolina hosted a home playoff game for the first time in over a decade. But after a heart-wrenching 34-31 loss to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams on January 10, the team is currently in "offseason mode."
The Reality of the NFL Playoff Schedule Today
While the Panthers are home in Charlotte reflecting on what could have been, the rest of the NFL is moving full steam ahead into the Divisional Round. If you were hoping to catch some football today, there are two massive games happening, just without the black and blue.
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Today's slate for Sunday, January 18, looks like this:
The early window features the Houston Texans taking on the New England Patriots at 3:00 p.m. ET. You can catch that one on ESPN and ABC. It’s a classic matchup of a rising young squad against a legacy powerhouse.
The primetime nightcap is a heavyweight NFC battle. The Los Angeles Rams, the very team that knocked our Panthers out of the postseason, are traveling to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears at 6:30 p.m. ET. That game is airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock. It’s kinda bittersweet watching the Rams move on after that three-point nail-biter in the Wild Card round, isn't it?
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Why the Panthers Aren't Playing Today
It’s easy to get confused with the playoff dates. The NFL schedule is a bit of a moving target once the regular season ends.
Carolina actually put up one of the most inspired fights we've seen from this franchise in years. Bryce Young looked like he finally found his rhythm, leading a late fourth-quarter drive that found Jalen Coker in the end zone to give the Panthers a 31-27 lead with less than three minutes to go. The stadium was absolutely electric.
But, as he's done a million times, Matthew Stafford drove the Rams 71 yards in the closing minutes. A 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with only 38 seconds left on the clock basically evaporated the Panthers' Super Bowl dreams. It was a "tough pill to swallow" kind of loss.
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What’s Next for Carolina Fans?
Since you won't be checking what time the carolina panthers play today for the rest of the month, the focus shifts to the future. General Manager Dan Morgan and Coach Dave Canales have already started their end-of-year evaluations.
The 2026 opponents are already set. Because the Panthers won the division, they’ll actually face a much tougher "first-place" schedule next year. We’re talking about home games against the Bears, Lions, Ravens, and Bengals.
If you're looking for something to do now that your Sunday afternoon is suddenly wide open, here is how you can stay connected to the team during the break:
- Watch the Divisional Round: Keep an eye on the Rams vs. Bears game today. Whoever wins that will be a major barometer for where the Panthers need to get to defensively next season.
- Review the Draft Order: With the Wild Card loss, the Panthers' draft position is locked in. They'll be picking in the middle of the first round, a far cry from the #1 overall spots of recent years.
- Check Injury Reports: Watch for updates on Jonathon Brooks. The star running back missed the 2025 season but is expected to be a massive piece of the puzzle for the 2026 opener.
The season didn't end with a trophy, but the culture in Charlotte feels different. For the first time in a long time, we weren't just checking the schedule for draft picks—we were checking it for kickoff times in January.