Following the initial preview of the 2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend (Jan. 10-12), updates include Super Bowl odds favoring the bye-earning Seattle Seahawks (+350), new team records, expert model predictions, and key offseason developments like the Ravens firing coach John Harbaugh.
The 2026 NFL postseason kicks off with six Wild Card games across Saturday to Monday, as detailed in the initial schedule preview. Top NFC seed Seattle Seahawks (with the league's No. 1 scoring defense) and AFC No. 1 Denver Broncos (14-3) earn byes. Highlight matchups include Packers at Bears, Texans at Steelers, and others with underdogs like the 8-9 Panthers hosting the 12-5 Rams.
SportsLine's model projects upsets like the Bears covering vs. Packers and Jaguars beating Bills, with Eric Cohen forecasting a 27-24 Jaguars win. Odds list Seahawks as Super Bowl favorites at +350.
Off-field news adds intrigue: Baltimore Ravens fired veteran coach John Harbaugh after an 8-9 season, ending his 18-year tenure highlighted by Super Bowl XLVII but marred by recent playoff misses. Atlanta Falcons restructured QB Kirk Cousins' contract, slashing his 2026 salary from $35 million to $2.1 million and adding a 2027 vesting guarantee. Buffalo Bills added former Steelers CB Daryl Porter Jr. to their practice squad.
These developments heighten stakes for a wide-open playoffs with six new entrants, culminating in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara.