Week 18 action kicks off with a Saturday doubleheader, however, which features the Carolina Panthers at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC, and the Seattle Seahawks at the San Francisco 49ers at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.

While a majority of playoff spots—and seeds—have already been clinched, there are still a handful of division championships up for grabs heading into the final slate. Because of that, the league naturally waits to schedule Week 18’s matchup until the last possible second in order to, among other things, maximize its television audience.

Is there a 'Thursday Night Football' game tomorrow? Here's what to know about the NFL Week 18 and playoff schedules.

The Bengals and Browns haven't met since Week 1, when Cincinnati backup QB Joe Flacco was Cleveland's starter.

Every year, the NFL waits as long as possible before releasing the Week 18 schedule and that announcement finally came on Sunday night.

Week 18 will see the final two playoff spots decided. The AFC North champion will be crowned when the Steelers host the Ravens. In the NFC South, the Panthers can win the division with a win over the Buccaneers in Tampa, while the Buccaneers need a win on Saturday and a Falcons' loss in Week 18.

The NFL released on Dec. 28 the Week 18 TV schedule for games on Jan. 3 and 4, 2026. Tennessee's game at the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off at noon on Jan. 4. Jacksonville can clinch the AFC South with a win.

After the conclusion of Sunday's thrilling matchup between the 49ers and Bears, we now know the full Week 18 schedule to conclude the NFL's 2025 regular season.

See who's in and who's out for the Week 18 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers on January 4, 2026.