NFL Roundup: Playoffs Begin, Las Vegas Raiders Get Top Draft Pick
With the final weekend of the 2025-26 NFL regular season in the record books, the focus now shifts to the playoffs, which begin this week, leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 at the San Francisco 49ers' home stadium in Santa Clara, California.
But first, the playoffs. Below is the Wild Card Weekend schedule as posted on NFL.com.
Saturday, Jan. 10
- 4:30 p.m. ET: No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 4 Carolina Panthers (FOX, FOX Deportes)
- 8 p.m. ET: No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Chicago Bears (Prime Video)
Sunday, Jan. 11
- 1 p.m. ET: No. 6 Buffalo Bills at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS, Paramount+)
- 4:30 p.m. ET: No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, FOX Deportes)
- 8 p.m. ET: No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 New England Patriots (NBC, Peacock, Universo)
Monday, Jan. 12
- 8 p.m. ET: No. 5 Houston Texans at No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+/ESPN Deportes; ManningCast - ESPN2/ESPN+)
Two other teams, the AFC No. 1 seed Denver Broncos and NFC No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks, have byes this weekend and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Raiders Eye Fernando Mendoza
The conclusion of the regular season also shifted attention to the 2026 NFL draft. The Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) are getting the No. 1 pick.
The Raiders can be expected to use that pick to take Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Mendoza is the favorite to be selected first in the draft at -500. The draft will take place from April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh.
The Raiders struggled on offense this season, scoring only 241 points, the lowest point total in the league. Geno Smith, the Raiders' quarterback for most games, led the league in interceptions with 17 while only throwing 19 touchdown passes. Smith was also sacked a league-leading 55 times. He was tied in the sack-total category with rookie QB Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans.
Mendoza led the Big 10 champion Hoosiers to their current ranking atop the Associated Press national poll. Indiana's undefeated season included wins over Oregon, Ohio State and Alabama.
On Jan. 9, Indiana faces Oregon in a college football playoff semifinal game in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The winner advances to the Jan. 19 national championship game in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The other semifinal game features Ole Miss against Miami on Jan. 8 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. That winner faces the Indiana-Oregon winner for the national title. The semifinal games and the championship game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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