After the NFL regular season, the NFL playoffs bracket comes into play. It shows the current scenario for the AFC and NFC conferences, indicating which teams can advance to the next round and which will be eliminated from the race. The bracket helps visualize the path to the Super Bowl.
Here, we cover the 2026 NFL Playoffs bracket, complete schedule, TV channels guide and more information.
2026 NFL Playoff Full Schedule
The 2026 NFL playoffs will start on Saturday, January 10, with the Wild Card Round and end with the Conference Championship games on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
The Divisional Round matchups will take place on January 17th and 18th. Here are the key dates of the NFL postseason 2025-26 games at a glance:
- Wild Card games: January 10-12
- Divisional games: January 17-18
- Conference championships: January 25
- Pro Bowl 2026: Sunday, February 1
- Super Bowl 2026: Sunday, February 8
Here is the complete schedule with the TV channels listed
| Date | Round | Matchup | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan 10, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 4:30 PM | Prime, CBS or FOX |
| Sat, Jan 10, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 8:00 PM | Prime, CBS or FOX |
| Sun, Jan 11, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 1:00 PM | Prime, CBS or FOX |
| Sun, Jan 11, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 4:30 PM | Prime, CBS or FOX |
| Sun, Jan 11, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 8:15 PM | NBC/Peacock |
| Mon, Jan 12, 2026 | Wild-Card Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 8:15 PM | ESPN/ABC |
| Sat, Jan 17, 2026 | Divisional Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 4:30 PM | TBA |
| Sat, Jan 17, 2026 | Divisional Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 8:15 PM | TBA |
| Sun, Jan 18, 2026 | Divisional Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 3:00 PM | TBA |
| Sun, Jan 18, 2026 | Divisional Round | TBA at TBA | City TBD | 6:30 PM | TBA |
| Sun, Jan 25, 2026 | AFC Championship | AFC at AFC | City TBD | 3:00 PM | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Sun, Jan 25, 2026 | NFC Championship | NFC at NFC | City TBD | 6:30 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Feb 8, 2026 | Super Bowl LX | NFC Champ vs. AFC Champ | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA | 6:30 PM | NBC/Peacock |
TV Coverage and live Streaming info
The 2026 NFL Playoffs games will be televised on CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ABC, Peacock and Prime Video.
The Wild Card round will be played over three days with six games. The following networks will cover them. For the full TV schedule, please visit our Schedule section. We will update it after official confirmation. The Divisional Round will air on CBS, FOX, NBC, and possibly ESPN or ABC. The Conference Championships will have the NFC game on FOX and the AFC game on CBS.
The NFL playoffs will culminate in Super Bowl LX on NBC. You can watch the games on fuboTV, DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV, all of which will feature playoff games. NFL+ can be considered an affordable mobile streaming service.
If you wish to watch the NFL playoffs live streaming online for free, you can subscribe to the free trial of these streaming services.
Where to Download a Free Printable & Fillable NFL Playoff Bracket?
We made a printable and editable NFL playoff Bracket for you. It’s free! You can download it in blank and fillable PDF format from the link below.
How does the NFL Playoff Bracket Work in 2026?
The NFL Playoff Bracket is a single-elimination tournament that is super exciting and straightforward. It determines the champion.
Here is the format of how it works:
Teams: 14 Teams Make the Playoffs. 7 teams come from each conference (AFC and NFC). 4 from division winners, and 3 Wild Card teams in each conference.
Seeding: The top 1 to 7 teams are ranked based on their regular-season records. The top team (Seed 1) in each conference gets a bye in the first round and doesn’t play.
Wild Card Weekend: The other 6 teams in each conference play in the Wild Card round
- Seed 2 plays Seed 7
- Seed 3 plays Seed 6
- Seed 4 plays Seed 5
Note: The higher-seeded team hosts the game.
Divisional Round: The top-seeded team (Seed 1) plays the lowest remaining seed. The other two winners also play, with the higher seed hosting.
Conference Championships: The last two teams in each conference play for the chance to go to the Super Bowl- the higher seed hosts.
2026 Super Bowl: The AFC and NFC champions will meet in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 8, 2026, and we will be the NFL champions.
