The NFL Playoff Schedule 2025 kicks off next weekend with Wild Card Weekend, which has officially been set by the league.
The NFL Playoffs begin on Saturday, January 11, 2025 when the Los Angeles Chargers travel to face the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will be televised by CBS and streamed via Paramount+ at 4:30pm ET.
Next, it’s the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. That contest will begin at 8:00pm ET and will be a streaming-only event on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Sunday’s Wild-Card action begins with the Buffalo Bills hosting the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., and it will be televised at 1:00pm ET on CBS and streamed via Paramount+. Then at 4:30pm ET, the Green Bay Packers will travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., and the game will be televised by FOX.
Sunday’s action wraps up at 8:00pm ET on NBC and Peacock with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Wild Card Weekend action concludes with a Monday Night Football matchup. The Minnesota Vikings will travel to play the Los Angeles Rams in that contest at 8:00pm ET. The game will be televised by ESPN and simulcast on ABC and ESPN+ at 8:00pm ET. The contest will also feature a Manningcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Teams with a first-round bye and homefield advantage in the NFL Playoffs this season are the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFC.
Divisional Round contests will be played on Saturday, Jan. 18 and Sunday, Jan. 19 with Kansas City and Detroit each hosting games, while two additional matchups will be determined later.
The NFC and AFC Championship games will be played on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, with kickoff times tentatively slated for 3:00pm ET on FOX and 6:30pm ET on CBS, respectively.
Super Bowl LIX is scheduled for Sunday, February 9, 2025 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. (6:30pm ET, FOX).
NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE 2025
(Full Schedule)
* All times Eastern.
WILD-CARD ROUND
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025
(5) LA Chargers at (4) Houston
4:30pm | CBS, Paramount+
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(6) Pittsburgh at (3) Baltimore
8:00pm | Prime Video
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Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025
(7) Denver at (2) Buffalo
1:00pm | CBS/Paramount+
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(7) Green Bay at (2) Philadelphia
4:30pm | FOX/FOX Deportes
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(6) Washington at (3) Tampa Bay
8:00pm | NBC/Peacock/Universo
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Monday, Jan. 13, 2025
(5) Minnesota at (4) LA Rams
8:00pm | ESPN/ABC/ESPN+
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DIVISIONAL ROUND
Saturday, Jan. 18 or Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025
TBA at (1) Kansas City
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TBA at (1) Detroit
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2 Games TBD
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025
NFC Championship Game
3:00pm | FOX
AFC Championship Game
6:30pm | CBS/Paramount+
SUPER BOWL LIX
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 | 6:30pm ET | FOX
Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA
Without seeding priority for division winners, the AFC wild card matchups would be the same, but the Chargers would be hosting the Texans rather than the other way around since they would swap seeds.
The NFC’s playoff seeds would differ drastically however, so the NFC wild card games would be:
7 LA Rams at 2 Philadelphia
6 Tampa Bay at 3 Minnesota (a match-up of former division rivals)
5 Green Bay at 4 Washington
It’s time the NFL remove seeding priority from division winners.
AGREED
NO WAY!!! Division games have been important since merger/SB Era & should remain in place!!! If change it Rivals go OUT the window & might as well have EVER TEAM make Playoffs!
Z-Man your ideas are bunch of garbage.
Division winners are more important than seeding.
Michael you have a fan of divisional games like Bears-Cheeseheads, Eagles-Cowboys, Colts-Titans, 49ers-Seahawks & Bills Dolphins during regular season play.
I agree, especially since only 1 team gets a bye. Division winners should qualify for the playoffs, but the seeding should be based on record.
Michael, Dan Rakow, Evan, Z-Man, Keeper,
Question: Evan, or anyone else,
Are the Division winners seeded by season record under the 2024 – 25 Format ?
@Todd
Seeds 1-4 are reserved for division winners only
Seeds 5-7 are for Wild Cards
This means teams like Houston, Tampa Bay, and the LA Rams get rewarded for winning weak divisions by getting a home playoff game. Meanwhile, teams like the Vikings and Redskins get punished for finishing second in strong divisions, and have to play on the road in the first round.
Recently, the NBA changed their playoff format so that the teams are seeded by record, regardless if they are a division winner or not.
The NBA has realized that division winner seeding priority comes with too many problems to be a legitimate way of seeding playoff teams so they stopped doing it.
Finishing second is zero punishment & second is excellent just as first.