Why is there no Thursday Night Football in Week 18 on New Year’s Day?
Week 18 breaks from the usual NFL routine as the regular season finale unfolds without a Thursday night opener.
For the first time since the start of the 2025 NFL season, there will be no Thursday Night Football in Week 18, with fans forced to switch over to the College Football Playoff to get their New Year’s Day football fix.
Instead of the usual NFL opener, the CFP takes center stage on Thursday, January 1, with three quarterfinals spread across the afternoon and evening. The final week of the NFL regular season, meanwhile, does not get underway until Saturday, January 3. There is also no Monday Night Football.
A packed Sunday awaits
The NFL announced the full Week 18 schedule on Monday, and it is a heavy one. A whopping 14 games are scheduled for Sunday, January 4, which is a few more than usual and includes at least two matchups that would have landed on Thursday Night Football or Monday Night Football earlier in the season.
That scheduling choice mainly comes down to the league trying to keep everyone happy before the playoffs begin. The Wild Card round gets underway the following weekend, starting Saturday, January 10.
The reason there is NFL on New Year’s Day 2026
Consider this hypothetical. Let’s say the Green Bay Packers, who we already know will be the NFC’s No. 7 seed, were selected to play Thursday Night Football in Week 18. That would give them three extra days of rest compared to their Wild Card opponents, potentially the Chicago Bears, currently No. 2, who would almost certainly have played on Sunday.
As it stands, the confirmed Week 18 slate means only three playoff teams will carry any kind of advantage into the postseason, and even then it is minimal. They will have just one extra day off.
Saturday’s standout games in Week 18
The NFL has scheduled two winner-take-all games for Saturday. First, the Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the NFC South title and the conference’s final playoff berth at stake.
That will be followed by a heavyweight clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, a game that will decide the NFC West and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Ravens vs. Steelers headlines on Sunday
The pick of Sunday’s games is undoubtedly the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers showdown, which will determine the AFC North title and the final AFC playoff spot.
The AFC’s No. 1 seed will also be decided, with the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots all still in contention. By the end of the night, seedings in both conferences will finally be locked in.
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