Week 18 of the NFL season surely will not be a relaxing end to a grueling regular season. Far from it.
Four division titles are still up for grabs, with at least two — and possibly three — to be decided in winner-take-all matchups. The two conferences’ No. 1 seeds and the playoff byes that come with them remain in play. And, yes, even the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is in question.
That left the league with tough decisions for how it would configure the Week 18 schedule, including which game would be featured in the coveted “Sunday Night Football” finale on NBC. However, the league didn’t have to wait for the conclusion of Monday night’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons to make its selections.
The 2025 NFL regular season will end in the Steel City.
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will play in Pittsburgh at 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday to decide the AFC North title. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Carolina Panthers in a game that likely will crown the NFC South champion in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. In the nightcap, the San Francisco 49ers will welcome the Seattle Seahawks with the NFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed at stake.
Bucs-Panthers might not necessarily decide the NFC South title. There is an unlikely scenario involving the Atlanta Falcons (already eliminated) that could derail the Buccaneers, but that would entail the Falcons beating the Rams on Monday and then the Saints in Week 18.
Here’s a full rundown of the Week 18 schedule (all times Eastern):
Week 18 schedule
Saturday
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:30 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, 8 p.m.
Sunday
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 1 p.m.
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m.