The 2026 NFL Playoffs get started on Saturday, January 10 with four teams kicking off the Wild Card round. The playoff field will feature 14 teams with 12 of them playing that first weekend and the No. 1 seed in each conference getting a bye to the Divisional Round. This year, the opening round features two games on Saturday, three games on Sunday, and one game on Monday.
Eight teams will face off in the Divisional round, with that weekend featuring two games on Saturday the 17th and two games on Sunday the 18th.
Author: Michael
Update: The Chicago Bears have clinched a playoff berth. Chicago’s incredible comeback win agains the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 was the first step, and the playoff berth was finalized when the Steelers beat the Lions on Sunday. The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The 49ers also clinched a playoff berth with the Lions loss.
When the Chicago Bears last made the NFL Playoffs, Matt Nagy was their head coach, Mitchell Trubisky was their quarterback, and Caleb Williams was in high school.
Bryant McFadden, Jonathan Jones, and Patrick Pe
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 21: Jaylen Warren #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers scores a fourth quarter touchdown against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 21, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)Nic Antaya via Getty Images
The Detroit Lions aren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention, but it’s probably only a matter of time now.
The Lions have been on a great run the past two seasons, advancing to the NFC championship game and then going 15-2 last season.
The San Francisco 49ers are heading back to the postseason despite not suiting up yet in Week 16.
To clinch a playoff spot the 49ers needed the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. The seven-point underdog Steelers did San Francisco a favor by upsetting the Lions 29-24 while the 49ers sat in Indianapolis awaiting their Monday night showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
The 49ers clinched thanks to the NFL’s tiebreaking procedures.
San Francisco’s maximum losses is seven, and Detroit on Sunday suffered their seventh defeat.
The Detroit Lions‘ 2025 NFL playoff hopes were just crushed.
Needing a victory to virtually keep their postseason hopes alive, the Lions came up short at Ford Field on Sunday, Dec. 21, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing the Week 16 game, 29-24.
The Lions will be eliminated if the Packers win either of their final two games against the Baltimore Ravens or Minnesota Vikings.
It was an ugly and uninspired performance, especially with the season on the line, despite a late comeback effort.
Chicago’s worst enemy helps the Bears officially clinch the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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On Saturday night, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers gave NFL fans one of the best games of the season.
The two bitter divisional rivals battled until the very end, and even that wasn’t enough as the game eventually went into overtime.
Despite getting rocked at home by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Denver Broncos will be favored by double-digits on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. Though that is likely due to the Chiefs losing both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew to ACL injuries, so Denver will face their third-string quarterback for this game.
According to FanDuel, the Broncos are 10.5-point road favorites over the Chiefs in Week 17. The over/under stands at 36.5 for this matchup.
Broncos vs. Chiefs betting odds
Denver Broncos at Kansas City ChiefsThursday, December 25, 2025 at 6:15 P.M.
Jonathan Jones, Bryant McFadden and Patrick Pet
The Dallas Cowboys’ 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 was a fittingly grim end to their home slate, but star cornerback Trevon Diggs finally provided answers that fans had been waiting for.
Diggs, back after a two-month absence due to a concussion sustained in October, revealed how he was injured, a point of speculation after the Cowboys brass refused to state specifics.
Turns out Diggs got a concussion after trying to install a ceiling-mounted TV; the TV mount pole failed, and the TV hit him in the head.