You've probably got the snacks ready, the remote in hand, and a specific itch for some gridiron action. But if you’re looking for who's playing nfl football on monday night this evening, January 19, 2026, I’ve got some news that might make you audibly groan.
There is no NFL game tonight.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a letdown. After months of the Monday night ritual, the league finally pulls the plug on the weekday broadcasts once the Divisional Round wraps up. If you feel like your internal clock is glitching, you aren’t alone. We just finished a massive weekend of Divisional playoff football where the Houston Texans took on the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams battled the Chicago Bears. Usually, that momentum carries us straight into a Monday night finale, but the NFL schedule-makers have other plans for the penultimate weeks of the season.
Why isn't there a Monday Night Football game?
The reason you're staring at a blank schedule for who's playing nfl football on monday night comes down to the playoff bracket. Last week was the "Super Wild Card Weekend" finale. That was the last time we saw a Monday night NFL game for this season, featuring that dominant 30-6 blowout by the Houston Texans over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
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Once we hit the Divisional Round—which just happened this past Saturday and Sunday—the league shifts exclusively to weekend windows. This isn't just a random choice. It’s basically about rest. The teams that won yesterday and the day before need every hour they can get to recover before the AFC and NFC Championship games on Sunday, January 25. If a team played tonight, they'd be on a "short week" heading into the biggest game of their lives. The NFL avoids that like the plague to ensure the highest quality of play for the conference titles.
The Monday Night "Replacement"
While the NFL is dark tonight, football fans aren't totally left out in the cold. If you flip over to ESPN, you’ll find the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. It's the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers taking on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium.
It’s kind of wild to see Indiana at the top of the heap, but that’s the 2026 landscape for you. Even though it's not the pros, the atmosphere in Miami tonight is going to be electric. If you need a football fix, this is the only game in town.
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What happened to the Monday night schedule?
Honestly, the Monday night slot has been a rollercoaster this year. We saw some incredible matchups earlier in the season, like that overtime thriller between the Packers and Cowboys. But as the post-season narrows the field from 14 teams down to the final four, the inventory of games just shrinks.
You might remember a few years back when the NFL didn't play Monday nights in the playoffs at all. They only recently added that Monday Wild Card game to maximize TV ratings. It works, too—millions of us tune in. But once that round is over, the Monday night lights go out until the following September.
Looking ahead to the Conference Championships
Since you won't find who's playing nfl football on monday night today, you should probably start clearing your schedule for next Sunday, January 25. We have two massive matchups that will decide who goes to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara.
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- AFC Championship: The winner of the Texans/Patriots game will travel to face the Denver Broncos at 3:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
- NFC Championship: The winner of the Rams/Bears game heads to Seattle to face the Seahawks at 6:40 p.m. ET on FOX.
Denver and Seattle have looked like juggernauts all season. They earned those first-round byes and have used the home-field advantage to bully their way through the bracket. Watching the Seahawks' defense lately has been honestly terrifying for opposing quarterbacks.
How to fill the Monday night void
It’s weird not having a game. I get it. If you’re not into the college championship, you’ve basically got a few options to keep the vibe going. You can catch the "ManningCast" archives if you missed any of Eli and Peyton's commentary from the Wild Card round—it's still the best way to watch a replay.
Also, keep an eye on the injury reports coming out of Foxborough and Chicago today. With the Divisional games just ending, today is "Black and Blue Monday" for the remaining teams. News about lingering ankle sprains or turf toe today will directly impact the betting lines for the Championship games next weekend.
Basically, tonight is for the college kids. The NFL is taking a breather so they can melt our brains with high-stakes football next Sunday. It’s a bit of a wait, but considering how close the Divisional games were, the rest is probably needed—both for the players and our nerves.
To get ready for the next set of real NFL action, double-check your local listings for Sunday's Conference Championships and make sure your Paramount+ or Peacock subscriptions are active, as the league continues to split these high-profile games across different streaming platforms. Set your alerts for 3:00 p.m. ET next Sunday so you don't miss the kickoff in Denver.