The divisional round schedule is usually announced right after most wild-card games are finished, once enough results are known to set up the next matchups. For this season, the league released the divisional schedule on the Sunday night of wild-card weekend, shortly after the New England–Los Angeles game ended.

How the timing works

  • The league waits until most wild-card results are final so that three of the four divisional matchups are locked in.
  • At that point, it announces the full divisional schedule (dates and tentative TV windows) even if one wild-card game is still remaining.
  • Exact kickoff times for some games can remain “either/or” until the final wild-card result is known, then they are finalized shortly after.

This year’s example

  • The divisional round is set for Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18.
  • Dates and matchup placeholders were known in advance from the NFL’s important dates calendar, but the specific game slots were only announced once most wild-card games were complete.
  • One remaining AFC wild-card game (Houston vs. Pittsburgh) is determining the last divisional berth and some exact time assignments, which are being finalized after that Monday game.

What to expect going forward

  • In future seasons, expect the divisional schedule announcement on wild-card Sunday night once enough results are in, with any final time details clarified after the last wild-card game (often a Sunday night or Monday game). This pattern matches how the league handled the current 2025–26 playoffs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.