The wild card round of the 2025 NFL season was played from Saturday, January 10 to Monday, January 12, 2026. It was unusually tight: twelve fourth-quarter lead changes occurred in the first four games alone, and four of the six games were decided by a winning touchdown in the last three minutes.
Results
| Date | Conference | Winner | Score | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan 10 | NFC | Los Angeles Rams | 34–31 | Carolina Panthers |
| Sat, Jan 10 | NFC | Chicago Bears | 31–27 | Green Bay Packers |
| Sun, Jan 11 | AFC | Buffalo Bills | 27–24 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Sun, Jan 11 | NFC | San Francisco 49ers | 23–19 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Sun, Jan 11 | AFC | New England Patriots | 16–3 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Mon, Jan 12 | AFC | Houston Texans | 30–6 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Game notes
Rams 34, Panthers 31. Carolina’s first home playoff game since the 2015 NFC Championship Game, and its first playoff appearance since the 2017 season. The Panthers led 31–27 with 2:39 left before Los Angeles answered with a 71-yard drive and took the lead on a sideline catch with 38 seconds remaining.
Bears 31, Packers 27. Green Bay scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and led 21–3 at halftime. Chicago forced punts on four straight second-half drives, closed the gap with two field goals and two touchdowns, and won it with a 25-yard touchdown pass inside the final minute. It was Chicago’s first playoff victory since 2011 and its seventh fourth-quarter comeback of the season.
Bills 27, Jaguars 24. The fourth quarter produced four lead changes. Buffalo went ahead with 1:02 left on a short touchdown run, then sealed its first playoff road win in 33 years with an interception on the first play of Jacksonville’s final drive. The Jaguars had won both previous playoff meetings, in 1996 and 2017.
49ers 23, Eagles 19. A rematch of the 2022 NFC Championship Game. San Francisco scored the winner with 2:54 to play, and Philadelphia’s attempt at back-to-back titles ended when its last drive stalled inside the San Francisco 21-yard line.
Patriots 16, Chargers 3. New England’s first home playoff game since the 2019 AFC Wild Card Game and its first playoff win since Super Bowl LIII. The Chargers reached the goal line twice in the first half and came away with three points.
Texans 30, Steelers 6. The first playoff meeting between the clubs and the first time Houston qualified as a wild card team. The Texans out-gained Pittsburgh 408–175, scored two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter and recorded the franchise’s first playoff road win in 23 seasons. It was Pittsburgh’s seventh consecutive postseason defeat.
What happened next
| Round | Results |
|---|---|
| Divisional, Jan 17 | Denver Broncos 33, Buffalo Bills 30 (OT); Seattle Seahawks 41, San Francisco 49ers 6 |
| Divisional, Jan 18 | New England Patriots 28, Houston Texans 16; Los Angeles Rams 20, Chicago Bears 17 (OT) |
| Conference, Jan 25 | New England Patriots 10, Denver Broncos 7; Seattle Seahawks 31, Los Angeles Rams 27 |
| Super Bowl LX, Feb 8 | Seattle Seahawks 29, New England Patriots 13, at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
Sources: Wikipedia, “2025–26 NFL playoffs”.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who won the NFL wild card games in January 2026?
The Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and Houston Texans.
Were any January 2026 wild card games decided in overtime?
No. All six finished in regulation, though four were decided by a winning touchdown inside the final three minutes.
Which wild card winner went furthest that season?
The New England Patriots, who reached Super Bowl LX and lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29–13.