Patriots-Chargers matchup gets primetime treatment on NFL playoff schedule
The New England Patriots will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football for their Wild Card Weekend matchup.
Jan 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) calls the snap count against the Miami Dolphins defense during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium.
Brian Fluharty-Imagn ImagesWhen the New England Patriots make their return to postseason play, they'll do so in primetime. The NFL released the schedule for Wild Card Weekend on Sunday night, and it has the Patriots hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football.
This is the fifth playoff game in a row that the Patriots will play in primetime, going back to the 2018 AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. The last game before that was also against the Chargers, on a Sunday afternoon in the divisional round.
But while the Patriots' last two playoff games were in primetime, both were played on Saturdays (2019 against the Tennessee Titans, the team's last home playoff game, and 2021 against the Buffalo Bills). With their Sunday night game the Patriots will be able to keep a relatively normally structured week, rather than playing on Saturday or Monday.
The current week-out forecast for next Sunday night in Foxboro calls for partially cloudy conditions. Temperatures are expected to be right around freezing at kickoff.
Kickoff is officially set for 8:00 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium on Jan. 11. Coverage of the game can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the Patriots Radio Network, starting with pregame at 5:00.
This game will be the final one of a triple-header for the day. The full Wild Card Weekend schedule is...
Saturday 4:30: Rams at Panthers
Saturday 8:00: Packers at Bears
Sunday 1:00: Bills at Jaguars
Sunday 4:30: 49ers at Eagles
Sunday 8:00: Chargers at Patriots
Monday 8:00: Texans at Steelers/Ravens
