If you’re sitting on your couch right now wondering who's playing tonight on the football game, you might want to adjust your expectations—or at least your remote. Today is Friday, January 16, 2026. If you are an NFL die-hard, you’re currently in that agonizing 24-hour "dead zone" between the chaos of Wild Card weekend and the high-stakes drama of the Divisional Round.
There are no NFL games tonight. None.
It’s a bit of a tease, honestly. We just came off a massive weekend where the Bills clawed past the Jaguars and the 49ers narrowly escaped the Eagles. But the league likes to let the tension simmer. Instead of a Friday night kickoff, the NFL is loading its schedule into a massive double-header weekend starting tomorrow.
The NFL Divisional Round Wait
While the stadium lights are dark tonight, the rosters are anything but quiet. The big news dominating the wires today is the health of Sam Darnold. He’s currently listed as questionable with an oblique injury. If he can't go tomorrow night against the 49ers, the Seahawks' Cinderella run might hit a brick wall.
Tomorrow, Saturday, January 17, is when the real fireworks start.
Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos kicks things off at 4:30 p.m. ET. This is a fascinating matchup because the Broncos' defense has been a statistical nightmare for quarterbacks this year. They finished the season with 68 sacks. That is a terrifying number for Josh Allen to look at while he’s watching film tonight.
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Later on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks host the San Francisco 49ers at 8:00 p.m. ET. Seattle already beat them 13-3 in Week 18, but the playoffs are a different beast.
What About College Football Tonight?
If you were hoping for a late-season college bowl game, you’re also going to find the schedule remarkably empty. We are officially in the "calm before the storm" for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
No. 10 Miami and No. 1 Indiana are the last teams standing.
They don't play tonight. Their date with destiny is set for Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium.
However, if you happen to be in Miami tonight, the city is basically one giant football party. The "Category 5 Pep Rally" is happening today on the University of Miami campus, and Playoff Fan Central just opened at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It’s football, just without the actual tackling.
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Why the Friday Gap Matters
You might wonder why the networks don't just put a game on Friday. It seems like easy money, right?
The NFL generally avoids Fridays and Saturdays for most of the season to protect high school and college football attendance. Even though the college season is basically over, the playoff rhythm is built around the "Saturday-Sunday-Monday" model.
For the players, this Friday is "Travel Day" or "Final Walkthrough Day."
For the Houston Texans, who play the New England Patriots on Sunday, today was about the final injury report. They’re dealing with the league's top-ranked defense, and C.J. Stroud has been vocal about the lessons learned from their 41-21 win over the Pats earlier this year.
Looking Ahead: The Weekend Slate
Since you can't watch a game tonight, here is exactly what you are waiting for:
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- Saturday, Jan 17 (4:30 PM ET): Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (CBS/Paramount+)
- Saturday, Jan 17 (8:00 PM ET): San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (FOX)
- Sunday, Jan 18 (3:00 PM ET): Houston Texans at New England Patriots (ESPN/ABC)
- Sunday, Jan 18 (6:30 PM ET): Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams (NBC/Peacock)
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
Since the screen is empty tonight, here is how you can actually prepare for the massive weekend ahead:
1. Check Your Subs: If you’re planning to watch the Bears and Rams on Sunday night, make sure your Peacock subscription is active. That’s an exclusive NBC/Peacock window, and you don’t want to be resetting your password while the opening kickoff is in the air.
2. Track the Weather in Buffalo: Highmark Stadium is notorious in January. If the wind picks up, the Bills vs. Broncos game becomes a ground-and-pound affair, which heavily favors Denver's defensive front.
3. Monitor the Seattle QB Situation: Keep an eye on the final injury reports later this evening. If Sam Darnold is downgraded to "Out," the betting lines for the Seahawks/49ers game will shift violently.
4. Set Your Monday Alarm: Don't forget that the Miami vs. Indiana National Championship is a Monday night game (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). It’s easy to get lost in the NFL weekend and forget the biggest college game of the decade is less than 72 hours away.
Tonight is for the wings, the prep, and the trash talk. Tomorrow, the pads finally click back together.