An AFC wild card game is one of the three opening-round playoff games in the American Football Conference. Seven AFC teams qualify each season — four division champions seeded 1 to 4 and three wild card teams seeded 5 to 7 — and the top seed sits out the round on a bye.
The three AFC matchups
| Game | Host | Visitor |
|---|---|---|
| AFC No. 2 vs No. 7 | No. 2 seed (division winner) | No. 7 seed (wild card) |
| AFC No. 3 vs No. 6 | No. 3 seed (division winner) | No. 6 seed (wild card) |
| AFC No. 4 vs No. 5 | No. 4 seed (division winner) | No. 5 seed (wild card) |
The three winners advance to the divisional round, where the lowest surviving seed travels to the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the other two meet at the higher seed’s stadium. The AFC Championship Game is hosted by the higher remaining seed, and its winner represents the conference in the Super Bowl.
AFC wild card games, 2026 season
Wild Card Weekend for the 2026 season begins Saturday, January 16, 2027. The AFC participants, seeds, matchups, kickoff times and networks are all to be announced — none of them are decided until the regular season is complete. The NFL Wild Card Weekend 2027 page tracks what has been confirmed.
Recent AFC wild card results
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| Mon, Jan 12, 2026 | Houston Texans 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 6 |
| Sun, Jan 11, 2026 | New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3 |
| Sun, Jan 11, 2026 | Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24 |
| Sun, Jan 12, 2025 | Buffalo Bills 31, Denver Broncos 7 |
| Sat, Jan 11, 2025 | Baltimore Ravens 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 14 |
| Sat, Jan 11, 2025 | Houston Texans 32, Los Angeles Chargers 12 |
Two of those six games were won on the road. In January 2026, Houston’s 30–6 win at Pittsburgh was the franchise’s first playoff road victory in 23 seasons and its first appearance in the round as a wild card team, while Buffalo’s win at Jacksonville was the Bills’ first playoff road win in 33 years. New England went on from its wild card win to reach Super Bowl LX.
Full recaps are on 2026 NFL wild card results and 2025 NFL wild card results. For the NFC side of the bracket, see the NFC wild card game.
Sources: NFL Football Operations (“2026 NFL Schedule Announced”); Wikipedia, “NFL playoffs”, “2024–25 NFL playoffs” and “2025–26 NFL playoffs”.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many AFC wild card games are there?
Three. Six of the AFC's seven playoff teams play, while the No. 1 seed has a bye.
Who hosts the AFC wild card games?
The No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, which are the AFC division winners other than the top seed.
When are the AFC wild card games in 2027?
They fall within Wild Card Weekend, which begins Saturday, January 16, 2027. Individual days and kickoff times are to be announced.