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Nfl Playoffs 2026 Guide To The Super Bowl Postseason Techopedia

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfl playoffs 2026 guide to the super bowl postseason techopedia

Jamie is an experienced content writer specializing in iGaming and sports betting. Jamie has previously covered sport for the likes of ESPN, AOL and MSN,… Alexandra is a Senior Content Editor at Techopedia with 10+ years of experience in covering tech, finance, crypto, igaming, and esports. Previously, Alex served as… The NFL regular season is nearing its conclusion, which means that the playoffs will soon be under way and it will not be long until fans are celebrating the arrival of the Super Bowl. NFL betting becomes very popular at this time of the year, so for anyone wondering how NFL playoffs work, read on for our full guide to the NFL playoffs 2026.

NFL playoffs 2026 will work in a slightly different way to previous seasons because the postseason has been expanded to include two more teams. The NFL Playoffs are back in 2026 with a full lineup of exciting matchups. Fans across the country are getting ready for the biggest weeks in football. This year’s playoff format sticks to the 14-team setup. Seven teams from each conference will compete for a spot in Super Bowl LX. This guide gives you everything you need to know.

You’ll find key playoff dates, the full schedule by round, the current playoff bracket, and how the format works. We also cover projected matchups and which teams are expected to stand out this year. Stay updated with the latest playoff picture as the road to Santa Clara begins. The NFL regular season ends on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Right after that, the playoff race begins. Here are the important dates:

Each round is packed with action and sets the stage for the next. The road to the Super Bowl moves fast. Fans and teams must stay ready. The National Football League playoffs for the 2025 season will begin on January 10, 2026, and will conclude with Super Bowl LX on February 8 at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This will be the first postseason since 2014 not to feature the Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, it marks the first postseason since 1998 not to feature Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Patrick Mahomes.

It is also the first postseason since 2016 to not feature either number 1 seed from the previous season. The 2025 playoffs are scheduled to begin with the Wild Card Round from January 10–12, 2026, with three games played in each conference. In the Divisional round, scheduled for January 17–18, the top seed in the conference will play the lowest remaining seed and the other two remaining teams will play each other. The winners of those games advance to the Conference Championship games scheduled for January 25. Super Bowl LX is scheduled for February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. As of December 25, 2025 (Week 17, Thursday games)[update], the following teams have qualified for the playoffs:

The 2026 NFL Playoff Bracket and Super Bowl schedule begins with Wild Card Weekend on January 10-12, 2026. The expanded playoff format continues with seven teams per conference, including one bye for the top seed. Super Bowl 60 (LX) is set for Sunday, February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers. This marks the second Super Bowl at Levi’s (after Super Bowl 50 in 2016).Playoff games will air across ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, Peacock, and potentially Prime Video (with exclusives). Streaming plays a bigger role than ever. Matchups and exact times/TV assignments will be finalized after the regular season ends on January 4, 2026—check back for updates!We’ve got the full tentative schedule below, plus FREE printable playoff brackets and pick’em sheets.Last...

Refreshed with confirmed dates, Super Bowl details, and streaming info. The 2026 NFL Playoff and Super Bowl TV schedule starts on January 10th, 2026. The 2026 Postseason sees the NFL broadcasting games on the ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Peacock, and ESPN networks. We might see Prime Video enter the mix too, but right now that is not confirmed. We do expect to see streaming providers take on a bigger and bigger share of the overall NFL playoff TV market. The 2026 NFL Playoff and Super Bowl TV schedule kicks off with three Wild Card round games on January 10th, 2026.

The NFL can change dates, times, and assigned TV networks all the way up to the playoffs, so make sure you check back for any changes. The 2026 NFL Wild Card Round TV schedule will see all of the major networks and Peacock with coverage this postseason. As we get closer to the postseason, we will revise the TV channels and kickoff times for you. The current assignments are based on the 2025 NFL Playoff schedule. Typically: 3 games Saturday, 2 Sunday, 1 Monday night. Expect exclusives on Peacock and/or Prime Video.

Assignments TBD based on seeds. On Sunday, January 5, 2026, fans will discover which teams have made the playoffs and who they’ll face in each matchup. All playoff game results will be updated here, and following the Conference Championships on the same day, you’ll also know which teams are heading to Super Bowl LX, complete with final scores. It's beginning to look a lot like the postseason. The playoff picture is still a month away from being finalized, but that doesn't mean that plenty of teams across the NFL aren't dreaming big during this magical time of the year. Some teams are comfortable with their spot in the standings.

Others are hoping to move up the rankings or just find a place when the dust settles. There will be no Lombardi Trophy under the tree or a Super Bowl banner to unwrap at the party though, since some dreams take a little longer to materialize. If the 2026 NFL playoffs are anything like the season fans have experienced to this point – buckle up. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves on the outside looking in, while the Philadelphia Eagles are flirting with a potential collapse down the stretch. Old places have emerged with new faces, promising a wild ride to the finish. Drake Maye has the New England Patriots back as contenders after a brief hiatus and the additions to Matthew Stafford's Los Angeles Rams have Hollywood poised to challenge once again.

The 2025-26 NFL playoffs begin on January 10, 2026. Three Wild card games will be played in each conference. Wild card games are scheduled on Jan 10-12. Divisional games will be played on Jan 17-18. Winners will be advanced to play the Conference Championship game on Jan 25. The Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Feb 8, 2026.

NBC Network will be showing the NFL’s biggest event at 6:30 PM ET at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA. We have the top 7 teams of 16 from the AFC Conference and the top 7 teams of 16 from the NFC Conference, who clinched the NFL postseason games. Here are the latest playoff scenarios listed below if the season ends today. No. 1 seed has a byeNo. 2 seed hosts No.

7 seedNo. 3 seed hosts No. 6 seedNo. 4 seed hosts No. 5 seed The No.

1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed.The second-highest remaining seed hosts the second-lowest remaining seed. Divisional round winners (higher seed hosts) 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.

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: Here is the complete schedule with the TV channels listed Below you will find our Printable 2025-2026 Playoff Bracket. For Dates, Times, and TV Channel of each game, check out our 2025-26 Playoff TV Schedule! We also have the Fillable Playoff Bracket available! Below is a quick explanation of how the Playoff system works, but please read our How do the NFL Playoffs Work article for a complete understanding of the system and check out When do...

The NFL playoffs work a little different than the NBA Playoff Bracket or the March Madness Tournament Bracket. The first round runs as you would think, the 1 seed gets a bye, the 4th seed plays the 5th seed and the 3rd seed plays the 6th seed and the 2nd seed plays... But, the second round is rearranged so that the number 1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed left in the tournament(in their conference). An example of this would be if the number 7 seed beats the number 2 seed in the first round the 7th seed would go to the upper bracket and play the number 1... 5 seed would go to the bottom bracket and play the winner of the 3 vs 6 seed. The 3rd and 4th rounds run as you would think, the winners of the Divisional Playoffs go on to play each other in the Conference Championship.

The winners of each Conference Championship game then go on to play in the Super Bowl. This format makes in difficult to run a normal bracket pick'em office pool, so instead we recommend trying our Playoffs Block Pool, our Playoff Squares or our Playoff Confidence Pool. Updated: December 24, 2025 at 11:55 am EST The 2025-26 NFL regular season kicked off on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The regular season will conclude after all Week 18 games are played on January 4, 2026. The 2026 NFL playoffs are scheduled to begin January 10 with Super Wildcard Weekend. The 2026 Super Bowl will be played Sunday, February 8, 2026.

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