The NFL typically releases the full 2025–26 playoff schedule (with matchups and exact times) on the final Sunday of the regular season, right after the playoff field is completely set, which this year is expected to be late on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

When the schedule drops

  • The NFL usually announces the full playoff bracket and game times during or shortly after the final Sunday Night Football game of the regular season.
  • For the 2025–26 playoffs, that’s expected to be late Sunday night, January 4, 2026, once the last Week 18 games (like Ravens–Steelers) finish and all 14 playoff teams and seeds are locked in.
  • Last year, the league posted the schedule around 8:40 p.m. ET on that Sunday, so fans should expect a similar window this time.

Where to find it

The official schedule will be posted in these places:

  • NFL.com’s main schedule page and playoff section.
  • The NFL’s official X (Twitter) account, where they usually tweet the full bracket and times.
  • Major sports sites like ESPN, NFL Network, and CBS Sports, which will update their playoff brackets and TV listings right after the NFL’s release.

What’s already known

Even before the full schedule drops, the NFL has already set:

  • Wild Card Weekend: January 10–12, 2026, with 3 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday, and 1 on Monday night.
  • Divisional Round: January 17–18, 2026, with 2 games each day.
  • Conference Championships: Sunday, January 25, 2026 (AFC at 3 p.m. ET, NFC at 6:30 p.m. ET).
  • Super Bowl LX: Sunday, February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

So, to catch the exact matchups and kickoff times, keep an eye on NFL.com and the NFL’s social media late on Sunday, January 4, 2026.