NFL Week 16 Schedule 2026: Dates, Times, TV Channels
The NFL Week 16 Schedule 2026 runs from Thursday, December 24 through Monday, December 28. All 16 games are on the board because bye weeks finished after Week 14, so every one of the 32 teams plays. Every kickoff time below is Eastern.
Houston opens the week in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day brings a tripleheader, with two games on Netflix and one on FOX. Sunday holds the main slate, and New York closes the week at Ford Field on Monday night.
Four matchups are still listed as TBD. Two of them will land on Saturday, December 26 on NFL Network once the league sets the final windows.
2026 NFL Week 16 at a Glance
| Dates | Thursday, December 24 to Monday, December 28, 2026 |
| Total games | 16 |
| Teams on bye | None. All 32 teams play |
| Networks | Prime Video, Netflix, FOX, CBS, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network |
| Thursday opener | Texans at Eagles, 8:15 PM ET |
| Christmas Day | Packers at Bears 1:00 PM, Bills at Broncos 4:30 PM, Rams at Seahawks 8:15 PM ET |
| Sunday night | Jaguars at Cowboys, 8:20 PM ET |
| Monday night | Giants at Lions, 8:15 PM ET |
| Still to be set | 4 games, two of them on Saturday, December 26 |
NFL Week 16 Schedule 2026: All 16 Games
Times are Eastern. Subtract one hour for Central, two for Mountain and three for Pacific.
Thursday, December 24, 2026
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texans at Eagles | 8:15 PM | Prime Video | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
Friday, December 25, 2026 (Christmas Day)
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packers at Bears | 1:00 PM | Netflix | Soldier Field, Chicago |
| Bills at Broncos | 4:30 PM | Netflix | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver |
| Rams at Seahawks | 8:15 PM | FOX | Lumen Field, Seattle |
Saturday, December 26, 2026
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be announced | 4:30 PM | NFL Network | TBD |
| To be announced | 8:00 PM | NFL Network | TBD |
Both Saturday slots are confirmed. Only the matchups are open, and they come from the four TBD games listed further down.
Sunday, December 27, 2026
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browns at Ravens | 1:00 PM | CBS | M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore |
| Patriots at Jets | 1:00 PM | CBS | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Chargers at Dolphins | 1:00 PM | FOX | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Cardinals at Saints | 1:00 PM | FOX | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans |
| Titans at Raiders | 4:05 PM | FOX | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas |
| 49ers at Chiefs | 4:25 PM | CBS | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Jaguars at Cowboys | 8:20 PM | NBC | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
The two TBD games that do not go to Saturday are most likely to land in these Sunday afternoon windows.
Monday, December 28, 2026
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giants at Lions | 8:15 PM | ESPN | Ford Field, Detroit |
Date and Time To Be Announced
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers at Falcons | TBD | TBD | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Bengals at Colts | TBD | TBD | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis |
| Commanders at Vikings | TBD | TBD | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis |
| Panthers at Steelers | TBD | TBD | Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh |
Kansas City note: the venue is listed here as Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs and GEHA announced in August 2026 that the stadium drops the GEHA Field prefix and returns to plain Arrowhead Stadium. Some listings still show the old name. It is the same building.
Want every week in one place? Browse the full 2026 NFL schedule, or track the races on the NFL playoff picture.
Christmas Day Football in Week 16
Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026, so the NFL built a standalone tripleheader around it instead of folding the games into a Thursday or Sunday slate.
- Packers at Bears, 1:00 PM on Netflix. The most played rivalry in NFL history, at Soldier Field in late December weather.
- Bills at Broncos, 4:30 PM on Netflix. An AFC matchup at altitude with real seeding weight this late in the season.
- Rams at Seahawks, 8:15 PM on FOX. An NFC West rivalry in prime time at Lumen Field.
This is the third straight year Netflix has carried Christmas Day football. Both streaming games are included with any Netflix plan, including the ad supported tier, at no extra charge. The night game on FOX is free over the air with an antenna.
None of the three Christmas games are subject to flexible scheduling, so these kickoff times are set.
NFL Week 16 Schedule 2026 TV Channels and Streaming
Seven outlets carry Week 16, the widest split of the season. FOX leads the confirmed games with four.
| Network | Games | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| FOX | 4 | Rams at Seahawks on Christmas night, plus three Sunday afternoon games |
| CBS | 3 | Two Sunday 1:00 PM games and 49ers at Chiefs at 4:25 PM |
| Netflix | 2 | Packers at Bears and Bills at Broncos on Christmas Day |
| NFL Network | 2 | Saturday, December 26 doubleheader, matchups to be named |
| Prime Video | 1 | Texans at Eagles on Christmas Eve |
| NBC | 1 | Sunday Night Football, Jaguars at Cowboys |
| ESPN | 1 | Monday Night Football, Giants at Lions |
The remaining two TBD games go to CBS or FOX in a Sunday afternoon window. Sunday coverage is regional, so those networks show only the games assigned to your market.
Every network has a streaming twin. Paramount+ carries the CBS games and the entry level Essential plan is enough. FOX One carries FOX at 19.99 dollars a month. Peacock mirrors Sunday night. Monday night needs the ESPN app on an ESPN Unlimited plan, because the cheaper ESPN Select tier does not include Monday Night Football. Netflix and Prime Video need nothing beyond the base subscription.
NFL Network changed hands in January 2026 and is now owned by ESPN. The practical result for Week 16 is that the Saturday doubleheader streams in the ESPN app for ESPN Unlimited subscribers at no extra cost, and it stays included with NFL+.
Two limits are worth knowing before you subscribe. NFL+ at 6.99 dollars a month streams live local and prime time games on phones and tablets only, so those games cannot be cast to a television on either tier. And NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV remains the only way to watch out of market Sunday afternoon games. It covers Sunday afternoon games only, so it does not include the Christmas, Saturday or prime time games in this week.
Why Four Week 16 Games Are Still TBD
Week 16 uses flexible scheduling. The league held four matchups open when the 2026 schedule was released so it could move the most meaningful late season games into the biggest windows.
Two of the four are played on Saturday, December 26 at 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. The other two go to Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night or Monday night. Final dates and start times are confirmed no later than immediately after Week 14.
The four affected games are Buccaneers at Falcons, Bengals at Colts, Commanders at Vikings and Panthers at Steelers. If you are buying tickets or booking travel for one of them, plan for the day to move.
Teams on Bye in Week 16
None. Bye weeks run from Week 5 to Week 14 in 2026, with Arizona and Dallas taking the last two. Every team plays in Weeks 15 through 18, so fantasy championship rosters are at full strength and no contender gets a rest advantage down the stretch.
What Makes Week 16 Worth Watching
Five straight days of football. Games run Thursday through Monday with no empty day in between. It is the only unbroken five day run of the 2026 regular season. Thanksgiving week comes close but skips the Saturday.
Two division games headline Christmas. Packers at Bears and Rams at Seahawks are both division meetings, and both often carry tiebreaker weight in a tight NFC race.
49ers at Chiefs is the marquee Sunday game. A Super Bowl LVIII rematch at Arrowhead in the late CBS window, with seeding usually on the line by Week 16.
Two AFC games moved to FOX. Chargers at Dolphins and Titans at Raiders are both AFC matchups, which normally sit with CBS. The league cross flexed them, so check FOX rather than CBS in your market.
Even the Thursday game can move. Sunday night flexes with six days notice in Weeks 14 through 17, and Monday night flexes with 12 days notice from Week 12 onward. New for recent seasons, Thursday night can also be flexed up to twice between Weeks 13 and 17 with 21 days notice, so Texans at Eagles is not fully locked either.
NFL Week 16 2026 FAQs
When does NFL Week 16 start and end in 2026?
Week 16 starts Thursday, December 24 and ends Monday, December 28, 2026.
How many games are in NFL Week 16 2026?
Sixteen. One on Thursday, three on Christmas Day, two on Saturday and one on Monday, with the rest on Sunday. No team is on bye, so all 32 teams play.
What NFL games are on Christmas Day 2026?
Three. Packers at Bears at 1:00 PM ET on Netflix, Bills at Broncos at 4:30 PM ET on Netflix, and Rams at Seahawks at 8:15 PM ET on FOX. None of the three can be flexed.
Who plays Thursday, Sunday and Monday night in Week 16?
Texans at Eagles, 8:15 PM ET on Prime Video. Jaguars at Cowboys, 8:20 PM ET on NBC. Giants at Lions, 8:15 PM ET on ESPN.
Why are four Week 16 games marked TBD?
Week 16 uses flexible scheduling. Two of the four are played Saturday, December 26 at 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network, and the rest move to Sunday or Monday. The games are Buccaneers at Falcons, Bengals at Colts, Commanders at Vikings and Panthers at Steelers. Final times come no later than immediately after Week 14.
Which teams are on bye in Week 16 2026?
None. Byes run from Week 5 to Week 14 in 2026, so every team plays in Week 16 and through the end of the regular season.
How can I watch NFL Week 16 2026 without cable?
Netflix has both afternoon Christmas games and Prime Video has Christmas Eve. Paramount+ Essential covers CBS, FOX One covers FOX, Peacock covers Sunday night, and ESPN Unlimited covers Monday night plus the NFL Network Saturday games. YouTube TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream carry all four broadcast networks. An antenna gets local CBS and FOX games free.
That is the complete NFL Week 16 Schedule 2026, from Christmas Eve in Philadelphia to Monday night in Detroit, with a Christmas tripleheader, a Saturday doubleheader still to be named and no team resting.
Bookmark this page and check back before kickoff, because four matchups and the prime time listings can still move under flex rules. You can also compare the Week 15 schedule or look ahead to Week 17.
Last updated: August 13, 2026
