NFL Sets Three Christmas Day Games for 2026
Packers-Bears, Bills-Broncos and Rams-Seahawks headline the December 25 slate, with a Texans-Eagles game on Christmas Eve.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Football
The NFL has scheduled three games for Christmas Day 2026, with the Packers hosting the Bears at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Bills facing the Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Rams playing the Seahawks at 8:15 p.m. ET. A Christmas Eve game also features the Texans at the Eagles.
Why it matters
The Bills-Broncos matchup is a rematch of a postseason overtime game that led to Buffalo coach Sean McDermott being fired, and it is expected to affect two division races and the chase for the AFC bye. The Rams-Seahawks game, between two 4-4 teams, is shaping up as a potential elimination game.
The Packers beat the Bears 31-7 in Week 5, setting up a rematch on Christmas Day. The Seahawks and Rams enter their matchup both at 4-4, while the Texans (2-5) and Eagles (2-6) meet on Christmas Eve.
The players
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional football franchise in the NFL and one of the league's most storied teams, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional football franchise in the NFL and a founding member of the league, based in Chicago, Illinois.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football franchise in the NFL that has reached four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s but has not won one, based in Orchard Park, New York.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional football franchise in the NFL and winner of multiple Super Bowl titles, based in Denver, Colorado.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional football franchise in the NFL that won Super Bowl LVI, based in Inglewood, California.
The details
The NFL has scheduled three Christmas Day games for December 25, 2026, beginning with the Packers hosting the Bears at 1:00 p.m. ET in Chicago. The Bills and Broncos follow at 4:30 p.m. ET in Denver, and the Rams and Seahawks close the day at 8:15 p.m. ET in Seattle.
Timeline
December 24, 2026: Texans play the Eagles in Philadelphia.
December 25, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET: Packers play the Bears.
December 25, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET: Bills play the Broncos.
December 25, 2026, 8:15 p.m. ET: Rams play the Seahawks.
Season Trajectory
The NFL has scheduled Christmas Day games for decades, and this year's slate continues that tradition with three matchups. The Bills-Broncos and Rams-Seahawks games carry playoff and division implications that could shape the second half of the season.
Fantasy managers will want to track the Bills-Broncos and Rams-Seahawks matchups, since both games carry standings consequences. Fans planning to attend or watch can note the three distinct kickoff windows on December 25.
The takeaway
Christmas Day has become a fixed part of the NFL calendar, and the 2026 slate pairs division rivals and playoff hopefuls in games that could decide postseason positioning. Readers planning around the holiday should mark the three kickoff times now.
What happens next
The Christmas Eve Texans-Eagles game is set for December 24, 2026, and the three Christmas Day games are set for December 25, 2026, with kickoff times already scheduled.
Further reading
For more on the league's season schedule, see Football coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC Sports.
