The final weekend of the 2025 NFL regular season arrives packed with high-stakes battles, as division titles, playoff berths, and top seeds hang in the balance across multiple games.
Week 18 kicks off Saturday, January 3, 2026, and wraps Sunday, January 4, with all 32 teams in action. Key matchups will decide who advances to the postseason and who heads home early.
Full Week 18 Schedule
Saturday games feature prime-time slots on ESPN and ABC.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4:30 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: 8:00 p.m. ET
Sunday offers a full slate, mostly at 1:00 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET, closing with Sunday Night Football on NBC.
1:00 p.m. ET games:
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (CBS, note: some sources list Ravens at Steelers for SNF)
Several other early matchups across CBS and FOX
4:25 p.m. ET games:
Various divisional rivalries on CBS and FOX
Sunday Night Football:
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers: 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
All times Eastern. Some games carry flex potential based on final implications.
Key Playoff Implications
Several contests feature winner-take-all scenarios.
Ravens-Steelers: The victor claims the AFC North title and a playoff spot. The loser misses the postseason entirely.
Seahawks-49ers: This clash could determine the NFC West winner and potentially a top conference seed.
Panthers-Buccaneers: A critical fight in the NFC South, where the outcome may crown the division champion.
Other games influence seeding.
Battles for No. 1 seeds in both conferences remain open.
Wild-card positions and home-field advantage shift with results.
Four division crowns stay undecided entering the weekend.
Viewing Options Abound
Fans face plenty of choices to catch the action.
Major networks handle most broadcasts.
CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, and ABC air games.
Streaming services provide alternatives.
Fubo, DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, Peacock, Paramount+, and ESPN+ offer live access.
NFL+ delivers mobile viewing for out-of-market games.
New platforms join the mix this season.
Fox One streams select FOX games.
Services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix handle exclusives in prior weeks.
Free trials from providers like DirecTV and Fubo help new viewers test options.
Background on the Season Finale
The NFL schedules all Week 18 games as divisional rivalries to maximize late-season meaning.
Flex scheduling places the biggest stakes in prime time.
This year delivers, with elimination games and seed fights spotlighted.
Twelve teams have clinched playoff spots already, leaving two berths and major positioning up for grabs.
Why This Weekend Matters
Results shape the entire postseason bracket. Top seeds earn byes and home advantage, crucial for deep runs.
Lower seeds face tougher roads starting with wild-card games on January 10-12, 2026. Fans should prepare for shifting scenarios as simultaneous games unfold Sunday.
The playoff field finalizes after the last whistle in Pittsburgh, setting the stage for an intense January chase toward Super Bowl LX.
