When Does NFL Playoffs Start: The 2026 Postseason Dates You Need

If you’ve been watching the standings like a hawk, you know the vibe. The regular season is a long, grueling marathon, but the postseason? That’s a whole different animal. Honestly, the most common question hitting every group chat right now is: when does nfl playoffs start?

The answer for this year is actually already in the books. The 2026 NFL playoffs officially kicked off on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

We are currently deep in the middle of the action. If you feel like you've missed a beat, don't worry. The structure of the NFL postseason is designed to be a month-long crescendo. We started with 14 teams, and as of today, January 18, we are watching the final games of the Divisional Round. It’s basically the "Elite Eight" of pro football, and the stakes are getting absurdly high.

Why the NFL Playoff Start Date Shifts Every Year

The NFL follows a pretty strict internal logic for its calendar. You've probably noticed it’s not a fixed date like a holiday. Instead, the league waits until the conclusion of the 18-week regular season. For the 2025-2026 campaign, the final regular-season games wrapped up on Sunday, January 4.

The league then gives everyone a "breather" week—sort of. While the players are recovering, the fans are frantically checking seeds. This year, the "Super Wild Card Weekend" started just six days after the regular season ended.

The 2026 Playoff Roadmap

If you're trying to plan your weekends or book a spot at a sports bar, here is the breakdown of how we got here and where we're going:

• Wild Card Weekend: January 10–12, 2026. This was the big opening act with six games across three days.
• Divisional Round: January 17–18, 2026. We are currently in the thick of this. These are the games where the No. 1 seeds—the Denver Broncos in the AFC and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC—finally hit the field after their first-round byes.
• Conference Championships: Sunday, January 25, 2026. This is "Championship Sunday." Two games, two winners, and two tickets to the big dance.
• Super Bowl LX: Sunday, February 8, 2026. This is the finale at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

What Happened During the Opening Kickoff?

When the nfl playoffs start, the energy is just different. This year's Wild Card round was a total rollercoaster. We saw the Chicago Bears, led by Caleb Williams, take down the Green Bay Packers in a 31-27 nail-biter on January 10. That game alone reminded everyone why January football is the best kind of chaos.

On the AFC side, the Buffalo Bills managed to squeeze past the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24. But not everyone survived the first weekend. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles were stunned by the San Francisco 49ers, 23-19. It was a brutal reminder that once the playoffs start, your regular-season record is basically a paperweight.

The Divisional Round Drama

Since today is January 18, 2026, we are literally watching the bracket shrink in real-time. Yesterday, the Denver Broncos barely survived a scare from the Bills, winning 33-30 in overtime. Meanwhile, the Seahawks showed exactly why they earned that top seed by dismantling the 49ers 41-6.

Today’s matchups are the final hurdle before the final four:

1. Houston Texans at New England Patriots: Kickoff at 3:00 PM ET on ABC.
2. Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: Kickoff at 6:30 PM ET on NBC.

The Patriots and the Broncos have looked like the "final bosses" of the AFC all year. Seeing if a young Texans squad can upset the rhythm in Foxborough is the main storyline everyone is talking about.

How to Watch the Rest of the 2026 Postseason

If you're wondering how to catch the remaining games, the networks are split up pretty traditionally.

CBS and Paramount+ have the rights to the AFC Championship game next Sunday. FOX will handle the NFC Championship. If you’re a cord-cutter, Peacock and ESPN+ have been reliable, but for the Super Bowl on February 8, NBC is the primary home.

Kinda wild to think that by this time next month, we'll have a new champion. The gap between the nfl playoffs start date and the Super Bowl is only about 30 days, but it feels like a lifetime given the intensity of the games.

Preparing for the Final Stretch

The best way to stay on top of the schedule is to focus on the "Championship Sunday" window. Both games on January 25 are back-to-back. The AFC game usually starts in the mid-afternoon (3:00 PM ET), followed immediately by the NFC game (6:30 PM ET).

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If you're hosting a party, that’s about seven straight hours of football. Plan your snack situation accordingly.

Actionable Next Steps

• Sync Your Calendar: Manually add January 25 and February 8 to your phone now. The kickoff times for the Conference Championships are locked at 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM ET.
• Check Your Streaming Subs: If you're relying on Paramount+ or Peacock, make sure your subscription is active before next Sunday to avoid the "login panic" five minutes before kickoff.
• Watch the Injury Reports: Between now and next Sunday, the status of key players—especially the quarterbacks in today's Rams/Bears game—will dictate the betting lines and the outcome of the title games.

The road to Santa Clara is almost over. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.