NFL playoff schedule LIVE: Seedings and wild card games confirmed as coaches discover Black Monday fate
The countdown to Super Bowl LIX is on and talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the news from around the league.
Super Wild Card weekend will kickoff the NFL playoffs as the race to New Orleans on February 9 reaches the win-or-go-home stage.
With the AFC and NFC seedings confirmed, and Wild Card weekend games in place, attention is also on those fighting for their future.
For teams whose season is over, head coaches and general managers are fighting for their futures, with Black Monday likely to have a number fired as half the league already look ahead to next season.
- Wild Card Weekend
- Saturday - Chargers @ Texans; Steelers @ Ravens;
- Sunday - Broncos @ Bills; Packers @ Eagles; Commanders @ Buccaneers
- Monday - Vikings @ Rams
- Divisional Round - Saturday January 18, Sunday January 19
- Conference Championship - Sunday January 26
- Super Bowl LIX - Sunday February 9, New Orleans
Sign up and bet on the NFL with talkSPORT BET to claim free bets
Follow our live NFL blog for regular updates below...
The Tenneesee Titans are on the clock...
For 18 teams, the hard work of working out what went wrong begins in earnest today.
The first priority will be deciding if its time for a change in coach or GM - many teams have already made those calls.
And then it's onto the Class of 2025 ahead of April's NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans claimed the coveted first pick and will surely go for a quarterback.
That will probably be the case for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants inside the top-three picks.
That is where things get interesting as the Patriots have a lot of holes to fill but QB is not one of them.
Top five plays of the regular season
32 teams have been whittled down to 14 contenders as the NFL playoffs kick off this week.
There has been plenty of action along the way and NFL Network has picked its best plays.
There's a Hail Mary, a hurdle, two near fumbles that led to touchdowns for the team that almost dropped the ball.
Sit back and enjoy.
Fights, bans, and fines: Fans desperate for NFL's fiercest rivalry to resume
Mike Evans enjoyed a dream ending to the regular season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a spot in the wild-card round with a thrilling 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints.
His team ran an extra play instead of taking a knee to ensure he earned $3million by topping 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th straight season - matching Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's feat.
Surprisingly, the Saints didn't do much to try and counter what was an an extremely predictable play.
That might not have been the case if Marshon Lattimore was on the field.
The former New Orleans cornerback has a fierce rivalry with Evans that has been raging since he was drafted in 2017.
Lattimore is now on the Washington Commanders' roster and a recent injury update has given hope that he could return to take on his old foe in the wild-card-round.
NFL rule change affects No. 1 seeds
The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions finished as the No.1 seeds in the AFC and NFC - and their performances this season have certainly caught the eye.
Those teams in search of a new head coach - including some that finished the season with an interim - have been watching particularly closely.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are both attractive options heading into 2025, as are Chiefs OC Matt Nagy and DC Steve Spagnuolo.
Under a new rule in place from this season, each of those names can field interviews over the next week.
Those discussions must be virtual and take place between Wednesday, January 8 and Monday, January 13 - ahead of the divisional round of the playoffs.
Some, if not the majority, of head coaching openings in the past were usually filled by or shortly after the divisional round.
But now, the NFL is not even allowing in-person interviews until after that round is completed.
Pat goes in on Colts
Pat McAfee is not done with the Indianapolis Colts.
The ESPN personality made headlines by criticising the culture within his former team ahead of their season finale.
Zaire Franklin went viral after mockingly offering fake handshakes to McAfee's empty box after a Week 18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After that victory, it was confirmed that general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen would keep their jobs.
McAfee called the decision 'a bummer.'
"That building is seemingly broken, and I don't know how the people that have been living in it ... are going to be able to see that and fix all the cracks," he added on his popular ESPN show.
talkSPORT's Super Bowl contender rankings
Now that all 14 playoff teams have been decided, Brian T. Smith has taken on the job of separating the pretenders from the contenders.
It isn't surprising to see the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans at the foot of the list.
The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are moving in opposite directions after their Week 18 showdown.
And fans of the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs might have something to say about their rankings.
Packers suffer huge loss before playoffs
The Green Bay Packers decided not to rest stars in a Week 18 clash with the Chicago Bears.
Looking to secure the No. 6 seed, Jordan Love and Christian Watson were both involved from the off before pulling up injured on the same drive.
Love needed treatment on the sideline after taking a knock but is believed to have escaped serious injury.
Watson wasn't so lucky with NFL insider Ian Rapoport claiming the speedy wide receiver tore his ACL.
He will now miss the playoffs no matter how far the Packers go in a cruel blow ahead of a wild-card matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Credit: Getty Jets aiming to break record for head coach interviews
The New York Jets are not good at picking head coaches.
They have not reached the playoffs since 2010 - the longest drought of any major US sports team.
Owner Woody Johnson is determined to get it right this time and his approach is plain to see.
Per Adam Schefter, he has requested an interview with pretty much every hot name of this coaching cycle - and a few from many moons ago.
From culture builder Mike Vrabel to next big thing Aaron Glenn, there is a bit of everything.
Rex Ryan - the last man to lead the Jets into the postseason - is also on the list.
- Mike Vrabel
- Ron Rivera
- Rex Ryan
- Brian Flores
- Josh McCown
- Joe Brady
- Matt Nagy
- Arthur Smith
- Brian Griese
- Aaron Glenn
- Vance Joseph
- Bobby Slowik
Detroit star has heart of a Lion
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has instilled the kind of winning mentality in his team their city prides itself on.
A Sunday Night Football showdown against the Minnesota Vikings turned into a procession.
The Lions won 31-9 in a dominant performance that secured the NFC North title for the second year in succession and a first-ever No. 1 seed for the franchise.
On offense, Jahmyr Gibbs was up to his usual tricks with a hat-trick of rushing touchdowns to secure a game ball from Campbell after getting four in total on the night.
But it was the defensive recipient that sums up the underdog mentality that defines the Lions.
Cornerback Amik Robertson was a fourth-round pick for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and put in four solid seasons.
He was a popular figure in the locker room but did not get paid and ended up joining the Lions on a two-year, $9.25million deal in free agency.
Tasked with covering Vikings standout Justin Jefferson, he had five tackles, one pass defended, and only gave up three catches for 54 yards to his former high school rival.
"I mean this from the bottom of my heart," the 26-year-old said after landing a game ball from his coach.
"I appreciate y'all man because y'all gave me to showcase what I can do when they tried to bury me, dog.
"But they can't bury what comes from the dirt. Let's get that big one man, let's keep working, I love y'all."
Young comes of age
Bryce Young's NFL journey has been a rocky road.
The former No. 1 overall pick's rookie season was a nightmare and he was benched in the current campaign.
But he finished on a heater and accounted for five total touchdowns in Week 18.
He even pulled off an ice-cold Stephen Curry look-away cele after throwing a dart for a score.
Young spoke glowingly of head coach Dave Canales on Monday despite being dropped earlier this season.
Sharpe clowns NFL’s ‘worst dual-threat QB’
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance got the nod in his team's regular season finale on Sunday, writes Joshua Rodgers.
With the Cowboys already eliminated from playoff contention and QB1 Dak Prescott out for the season, head coach Mike McCarthy decided to start Lance under center against the postseason-bound Washington Commanders.
The shock decision came at the expense of backup QB Cooper Rush, who was benched and ultimately denied a $500,000 contract incentive for playing in 55 percent of the team's offensive snaps.
The decision to start Lance was all the more surprising given the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is, in many ways, the league's forgotten man.
The 24-year-old joined the Cowboys via trade from the San Francisco 49ers in August 2023. He didn't get any playing time last year and headed into Week 18 contest with the Commanders having only thrown seven passes at the end of two blowouts this season.
NFL legend Shannon Sharpe reacted to the Cowboys' decision to start Lance on his 'Nightcap' podcast ahead of the Commanders game.
The three-time Super Bowl winner asked if this was the last dance for Lance, to which co-host Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson said not.
"Well, right now he can't play dead in a horror movie," Sharpe joked.
"Oh, I'll get him at chance, man," Johnson replied.
"Listen, there are far off worst quarterbacks that have backup roles and sometimes third-string roles in the NFL. Trey Lance is a good quarterback if in the right situation.
"But what I think he can do is he can put up a good performance where he signs back with the Cowboys and he can be the number two behind Dak Prescott."
"Right now, Ocho, he is a dual threat," Sharpe interjected. "He's terrible and awful. That's the dual threat [Cowboys owner Jerry Jones] was talking about."
Watson's 2025 availability in doubt
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has suffered a setback in his recovery.
The $230million quarterback suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in October.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry has now revealed that Watson' suffered a fresh blow.'s timeline may have to be pushed back.
"We did learn that he [Deshaun Watson] did have a setback in his recovery. We don't have all the details of everything yet," he said.
"But obviously, it would extend the recovery process for him. This is new information learned in the past couple of hours, So I don't have everything yet."
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reports that it is 'too early' to tell if the blow affects Watson's availability for next season.
Bengals make change after missing postseason
The Cincinnati Bengals have fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after missing the playoffs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Anarumo, 58, has been the team's defensive coordinator for the past six seasons.
Cincinnati finished the season 25th in points allowed, despite having the NFL's sacks leader in Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals also wasted league-leading seasons from quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1,708 yards and 17 TDs).
Cincinnati missed out on the playoffs having finished with a 9-8 record.
Credit: Getty Jaguars 'a team that did not play the way it was supposed to'
NFL Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport have offered more background on Jacksonville's decision to fire Pederson - and keep general manager Trent Baalke.
"It's certainly notable that Baalke is being retained," Pelissero said.
"We know how Shad Khan feels about the strength of the roster. He made that comment, back in the pre-season, when he said he thought this was the best team they had assembled and that it was time for them to win.
"Instead, it went the opposite direction. They had 10 one score losses, wrapped up by the game in Indianapolis yesterday, which was followed by hours of travel delay.
"The Jaguars did not get back until 3am. It was, in many ways, a fitting end to that season."
Rapoport, meanwhile, simply described Jacksonville as 'a team that did not play the way it was supposed to.'
New York Giants make decision on future of Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen
The Giants won just three games in 2024, and many expected heads would roll in New York.
But that's not the case.
On Monday, Giants President John Mara confirmed that head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will return for the 2025 season.
"As disappointing as the results of the season have been, Steve (Tisch) and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for the team," the statement read.
"We look forward to the future and achieving the results we all desire."
Credit: Getty
Pederson departure long overdue?
Pederson has been fired one day after a 26-23 loss to the Indianapolis Colts saw the Jaguars end the season with a 4-13 record.
Owner Khan made the move with one year remaining on Pederson's contract, and five months after he stood in front of coaches and players, declaring them the 'best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever'.
He expected more success in the 2024 season, especially after the team signed QB Trevor Lawrence, pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell to long-term deals in the offseason.
It was the most expensive stretch of roster building in franchise history.
Khan has gotten little, if any, return on his investment, as Jacksonville ended up with their 10th losing season in his 13 years as owner.
The decision to fire Pederson, in the eyes of some fans, has been long overdue.
"Saw this coming," one person wrote, reacting to the news on X.
"Least surprising firing," another said.
"Nobody is surprised by this," a third concluded.
Credit: Getty Jaguars fire Pederson as Black Monday begins
Doug Pederson, one of the coaches on the hot seat heading into Black Monday, has been fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter first reported the news.
A statement from Jags owner Shad Khan noted it was a difficult decision, and thanked Pederson for his three seasons with the franchise.
"I strongly believe it is possible next season to restore the winning environment we had hear not long ago," Khan's statement added.
Bryce Young impresses heading into offseason
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young saved his best performance for the last day of the regular season.
He threw three touchdown passes - and rushed into the end zone for two more scores - in a 44-38 road win against the Atlanta Falcons.
Young finished the day with 251 yards and a 123.5 passer rating - his career high.
Post-game, Panthers owner David Tepper was beaming.
"A real good win. I think we've got our QB here," he said.
Credit: Getty First 18 picks of NFL Draft confirmed
The order for the first 18 picks of the 2025 draft is officially set, with the Tennessee Titans at No.1.
The Cleveland Browns have the second pick, while the New York Giants take No.3 and the New England Patriots No.4.
This year, the draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the first time.
Check out the picks for 1-18 below, while the order for 19-32 will lock in over the course of the playoffs.
Black Monday 2025
We've officially reached Black Monday - a dreaded day for struggling coaches.
It has become an annual reset, where teams make big changes and look to reshape the outlook of the league.
And this year, the New England Patriots made sure they were ahead of the curve.
Owner Robert Kraft announced in a statement on Sunday that Jerod Mayo has been dismissed after leading the team to a 4-13 record.
The news came just hours after New England secured a shock 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale.
A number of other coaches are said to be on the hot seat, including the likes of Mike McCarthy and Doug Pederson.
We'll be across all the news as it breaks on Black Monday.
Playoff schedule confirmed
Following a frantic final week of regular season action, the playoff schedule has been confirmed.
Wild Card Weekend will kick off next Saturday in Houston and conclude in Los Angeles on Monday night.
The likes of the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles are all in action, while the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions are on a bye.
Check out the full schedule for Wild Card Weekend below.
Rodgers throws historic score
After missing his chance at history in Week 18, Aaron Rodgers threw his 500th TD pass in the season finale.
There are doubts about the New York Jets veteran's long-term future.
But his legacy is not in doubt as he passed the incredible milestone, which only Tom Brady, Peyton manning, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees have hit.
The recipient was a surprise, however.
Davante Adams caught Rodgers' 200th and 400th passes but it was Tyler Conklin who scooped this piece of history.
Early favorite for New England job
The New England Patriots have fired head coach Jerod Mayo.
The winds of change have hit Foxborough, Massachusetts, as team owner Robert Kraft decided to move on from Mayo after just one season.
Mayo went 4-13 in his first season at the helm, with the team looking more and more incompetent as the season went on.
Ironically, the Patriots won their last regular season game of the season, defeating the Buffalo Bills 23-16, while going from having the first overall pick in the draft to now the fourth.
Even the wins, brought loss.
And now it's officially over.
Kraft released a statement announcing the firing of Mayo.
“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” Kraft's statement read.
“For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years.
"He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community."
NFL Network insider, Ian Rapoport reported that Kraft and the Patriots may already have their eyes on their next guy.
"The name Mike Vrabel very quickly comes to the forefront," Rapoport posted on X.
Packers fans fume at Love call
The Green Bay Packers were guaranteed to make the playoffs and they could not win their division.
But on a day when many of the NFL's best teams rested star players or pulled them early, the Pack chose to send quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Christian Watson onto the field.
Love completed seven passes and threw for 69 yards.
Then Green Bay watched its entire season suddenly on the verge of disaster.
"Jordan Love is having his arm looked at on the sideline," tweeted FOX Sports.
"Oh no," a fan replied.
Love was soon being examined off the field.
Then Green Bay's best hope of advancing through the NFC playoffs was ruled as questionable to return to a game that the Pack didn't have to win.
"Haven't they locked up playoffs?" one fan tweeted. "Why are they playing their starters?"
"Why the f*** would they play him this game?" a second fan posted.
Barkley hails O-line after hitting 2k
Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season in Week 17.
His 162 yards in a rout of the Dallas Cowboys helped the Eagles wrap up the NFC East title a week early.
That has allowed them to shut it down for Week 18 and give their stars some rest for the playoffs.
Barkley will finish the regular season on 2,005 yards - 100 behind Eric Dickerson’s record set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams.
The 27-year-old's reaction will only endear himself to Eagles fans more.
Instead of complaining about not having a chance to break the record, Barkley paid tribute to his O-line.
He turned up to Lincoln Financial Field rocking a custom T-shirt celebrating his 2,000-yard season.
It featured the entire offensive line on the front, with Pro Bowl center Landon Dickerson holding Barkley.
"How 'bout them boys up front," was written on the back.
