NFL Week 18 Schedule 2026: Dates, Times, TV Channels
The NFL Week 18 schedule 2026 closes the regular season on Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2027. All 16 games are division matchups. The league leaves kickoff times and TV channels blank until the Week 17 picture is clear, so the final weekend can be built around teams still alive for the playoffs.
One change stands out. Saturday grows from two games to three, and Netflix takes a brand new 1:00 PM ET window ahead of the established ESPN and ABC doubleheader.
NFL Week 18 Schedule 2026: All 16 Division Games
For the 17th season in a row, every game in the NFL final week is a division matchup. The league started this in 2010, when the finale was Week 17, and kept it after the 17 game schedule moved the finale to Week 18 in 2021.
The matchups below are locked. Only the day, kickoff time and network are still open.
AFC Week 18 Matchups
| MATCHUP | DIVISION | STADIUM |
|---|---|---|
| Jets at Bills | AFC East | Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY |
| Dolphins at Patriots | AFC East | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA |
| Steelers at Ravens | AFC North | M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD |
| Browns at Bengals | AFC North | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH |
| Titans at Texans | AFC South | Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX |
| Jaguars at Colts | AFC South | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN |
| Chargers at Broncos | AFC West | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO |
| Raiders at Chiefs | AFC West | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO |
Two AFC venues changed names this month. Houston reverted from NRG Stadium to Reliant Stadium in August 2026, and Kansas City dropped the GEHA Field prefix on August 5, 2026 to return to plain Arrowhead Stadium. Buffalo hosts in the new Highmark Stadium, which opened in June 2026 and kept the old name.
NFC Week 18 Matchups
| MATCHUP | DIVISION | STADIUM |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles at Giants | NFC East | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| Cowboys at Commanders | NFC East | Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD |
| Lions at Packers | NFC North | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI |
| Bears at Vikings | NFC North | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN |
| Falcons at Panthers | NFC South | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC |
| Buccaneers at Saints | NFC South | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA |
| Seahawks at Rams | NFC West | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA |
| 49ers at Cardinals | NFC West | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ |
Want the full season on one page? Use our free printable NFL schedule grid to track every week.
Week 18 Kickoff Windows and TV Channels
The NFL has already fixed the six kickoff windows for the final weekend. Only the matchups inside them are open.
Saturday, January 9, 2027
| TIME (ET) | GAME | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Division matchup to be named | Netflix |
| 4:30 PM | Division matchup to be named | ESPN and ABC |
| 8:00 PM | Division matchup to be named | ESPN and ABC |
Sunday, January 10, 2027
| TIME (ET) | GAMES | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Part of the 13 game Sunday slate | CBS and FOX |
| 4:25 PM | Part of the 13 game Sunday slate | CBS and FOX |
| 8:20 PM | Sunday Night Football, one game | NBC and Peacock |
Thirteen games fill Sunday across those three windows. Week 18 has no Thursday and no Monday game, because every club has to finish the season at the same time for playoff seeding to be fair.
When Times and Networks Are Announced
Week 17 of the 2026 season runs from Thursday, December 31, 2026 through Monday Night Football on January 4, 2027. The NFL does not wait for that Monday game. In each of the last three seasons the league published the full final week schedule on the Sunday night of Week 17, so expect the Week 18 release on or about Sunday night, January 3, 2027.
- Why the wait: the league wants games with live playoff stakes in the Saturday and Sunday night windows.
- What can move: any of the 16 games can be placed on Saturday or in the Sunday night slot.
- What cannot move: the matchups themselves and the six kickoff windows.
- Where it posts first: NFL.com and the league broadcast partners, usually within minutes of each other.
Week 18 is not part of normal flexible scheduling. Regular flex can move Sunday Night Football up to twice in Weeks 5 to 10 and in any week from Week 11 to Week 17, Monday night games in Weeks 12 to 17, and Thursday night games up to twice in Weeks 13 to 17. Week 18 is simply left unassigned until the end.
How to Watch the NFL Week 18 Schedule 2026
Five broadcasters share the weekend. Here is the cheapest legitimate route to each one.
- Netflix: the Saturday 1:00 PM ET game. Included on every Netflix plan, including Standard with ads. No add on, no cable.
- ESPN and ABC: the 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM ET Saturday games. Stream on ESPN with the Unlimited tier, which includes the ABC simulcast. The cheaper Select tier does not carry NFL games. Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV also carry both channels.
- CBS: Sunday afternoon games on Paramount Plus. The entry level Essential plan already includes every NFL game on your local CBS station. Premium only adds a round the clock CBS feed, not more football.
- FOX: Sunday afternoon games on FOX One, Fubo or YouTube TV.
- NBC: Sunday Night Football on Peacock Premium or higher. The cheaper Peacock Select tier has no live sports.
- NFL Plus: local and prime time games on a phone or tablet only. Broadcast rules block casting those games to a TV.
NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube covers out of market Sunday afternoon games only. It does not include the Saturday tripleheader or Sunday Night Football, and locally televised games stay blacked out.
What Is at Stake in Week 18
Week 18 settles the last open playoff questions. Four things get decided:
- Division titles that are still tied going into the weekend.
- The No. 1 seed in each conference, the only first round bye, plus home field advantage through the conference playoffs. The Super Bowl itself is at a neutral site.
- The three wild card spots per conference, often decided on head to head or common games tiebreakers.
- Draft order for eliminated teams, which sets the board for the 2027 NFL Draft in Washington, D.C. from April 29 to May 1.
Because all 16 games are division games, a team can win its own division outright or knock a rival out on the same afternoon. Check the NFL playoff picture before kickoff, since one early result can flip the stakes of a later game.
Are There Bye Teams in Week 18?
No. All 32 teams play. The last NFL bye weeks fall in Week 14, when only the Cardinals and Cowboys are off. Every club is on the field from Week 15 through Week 18.
What Happens After Week 18
The playoff field is set the moment the Sunday night game ends. Fourteen teams advance, seven per conference.
| ROUND | DATES |
|---|---|
| Wild Card Weekend | January 16 to 18, 2027 |
| Divisional Round | January 23 and 24, 2027 |
| Conference Championships | January 31, 2027 |
| Super Bowl LXI | February 14, 2027 |
Super Bowl LXI is at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. February 14 is the latest calendar date the NFL has ever played the game.
NFL Week 18 Schedule 2026 FAQs
When is NFL Week 18 in the 2026 season?
Week 18 runs Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2027. It is the final week of the regular season.
How many games are in NFL Week 18?
There are 16 games. Three are on Saturday and 13 are on Sunday. Every game is a division matchup and no team has a bye.
When are Week 18 kickoff times and TV channels announced?
Expect them on the Sunday night of Week 17, on or about January 3, 2027. The league has released the final week schedule that night in each of the last three seasons, even when a Monday night Week 17 game was still to be played.
Which games are on Saturday of Week 18?
Three games. One at 1:00 PM ET on Netflix, then two on ESPN and ABC at 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM ET. The matchups are picked once the Week 17 results are in.
Why are all Week 18 games division matchups?
The 2026 season is the 17th in a row with an all division final week. It began in 2010, when the finale was Week 17. Division games keep late season stakes high and stop teams from facing opponents with nothing to play for.
Can I watch NFL Week 18 without cable?
Yes. Netflix carries the Saturday afternoon game on every plan. ESPN Unlimited carries the two Saturday games on ESPN and ABC. Paramount Plus Essential carries the CBS games and Peacock Premium carries Sunday Night Football. Fubo and YouTube TV bundle most of these networks together.
What comes after Week 18?
Wild Card Weekend runs January 16 to 18, 2027, the Divisional Round is January 23 and 24, the Conference Championships are January 31, and Super Bowl LXI is February 14 at SoFi Stadium.
The NFL Week 18 schedule 2026 gives you 16 division games across two days, January 9 and 10, 2027, with a Saturday tripleheader that now includes Netflix.
Save this page and check back on Sunday night, January 3, when the league locks in every kickoff time and network.
