The regular season is a meat grinder. Honestly, by the time January rolls around, every player in the league is nursing something, whether it’s a mangled pinky toe or just the soul-crushing fatigue of a seventeen-game schedule. But as we head into the Divisional Round this Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18, 2026, the question of what nfl teams have a bye this weekend actually has a very short, very specific answer.
Technically? Nobody.
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If you are looking for teams that are currently sitting at home on a "bye" right now, you’re actually looking at the two teams that just finished their week of rest: the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. They were the only two squads to earn a week off during the Wild Card round. Now, their "bye" is officially over. They are back in the line of fire.
The Reality of the Post-Bye Performance
The Broncos and Seahawks secured the #1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively. In the modern NFL playoff format—which, let’s be real, is a bit of a gauntlet—only the top seed in each conference gets that coveted first-round bye. Everyone else had to suit up last week and risk their season in the Wild Card games.
But here is the thing: the bye isn't always the golden ticket people think it is.
You’ve probably heard the "rest vs. rust" debate a million times. It’s a cliché because it’s true. While the Denver Broncos were likely spending last weekend getting healthy and watching film, the Buffalo Bills were building massive momentum by knocking off the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Bills aren't coming into Denver cold. They’re hot. They’re "we just won a playoff game" levels of confident.
Meanwhile, over in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks have been waiting in the Pacific Northwest drizzle for an opponent. They finally got one: the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners just scrapped their way past the Philadelphia Eagles in a physical game that probably left half their roster in the ice tub. Seattle is fresh. Seattle is fast. But are they ready for game speed after ten days of practice?
What NFL Teams Have a Bye This Weekend (and why the answer is zero)
Since we are now in the Divisional Round, the field has been narrowed down to the "Elite Eight." There are four games total. That means eight teams are playing, and everyone else is... well, they aren't on a "bye," they're just out of the playoffs.
If you were hoping to see your team on the schedule and they aren't there, I’ve got some bad news. They didn't get a late-season break; they got a ticket to Cancun.
The schedule for this weekend is tight:
- Saturday, Jan 17: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (4:30 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, Jan 17: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (8:00 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, Jan 18: Houston Texans at New England Patriots (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, Jan 18: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (6:30 p.m. ET)
Notice a pattern? The two teams that had the bye last week—Denver and Seattle—are both playing on Saturday. The league doesn't give them extra days just because they were the best in the regular season. They get the "reward" of playing the early slots.
The Curse of the Top Seed?
Historically, the #1 seed wins their Divisional game about 70-75% of the time. Those are good odds. But it’s not 100%.
Think about the Houston Texans. They just demolished the Steelers 30-6. They are heading into Foxborough to face the New England Patriots with a ridiculous amount of wind in their sails. If you’re a Patriots fan, you might almost wish the Texans had a week off to cool down.
Then you have the Chicago Bears. They're hosting the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. The Rams just survived a 34-31 shootout against the Panthers. They are battle-tested. The Bears, as the #2 seed, didn't have a bye—they had to beat the Packers last week. So, in that matchup, both teams are coming off a short week. No rest for the weary there.
Why the Bye Matters More in 2026
The 17-game season changed the math. Back when it was 16 games, guys could somewhat limp across the finish line. Now? That extra week of the regular season is a literal pain.
By the time we get to mid-January, a bye week is worth its weight in gold. It’s not just about game planning. It’s about the training room. It’s about getting your star left tackle’s ankle to a point where he can actually push off against a Pro Bowl defensive end.
The Seattle Seahawks finished 14-3. They earned that rest. But if they come out flat against a San Francisco team that is already in "playoff mode," that 14-3 record won't mean a thing.
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Actionable Insights for the Weekend
If you're watching the games or—let's be honest—checking your sportsbook app, keep these factors in mind regarding the teams coming off that recent rest:
- Watch the first quarter in Denver: If the Broncos look out of sync or the timing between the QB and receivers is off, that's the "rust" showing. The Bills will try to jump on them early.
- Depth is the Seahawks' friend: Seattle is deeper than San Francisco right now because they haven't played a live game in nearly two weeks. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, the fresher legs in the Seattle secondary could be the deciding factor.
- The Home Field Advantage: Every team playing this weekend who didn't have a bye is on the road (Bills, 49ers, Texans, Rams). The teams that stayed home are either the #1 seeds (Denver, Seattle) or the #2 seeds (New England, Chicago).
Essentially, while no nfl teams have a bye this weekend, the ghosts of the previous bye weeks are still haunting the bracket. The Divisional Round is arguably the best weekend of football all year because the "easy" teams are gone, and the "rested" teams are finally forced to prove they deserved the break.
Check the injury reports on Friday afternoon. That’s where you’ll see if the week of rest actually helped Denver and Seattle, or if they’re still struggling to get their playmakers back on the field.
For those looking ahead, the winners of these four games will move on to the Conference Championships on January 25. There are no more byes from here on out. It's a straight shot to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara. Turn on the TV, grab some wings, and enjoy the fact that for these eight teams, the vacation is over.
To stay ahead of the curve for the rest of the postseason, monitor the official NFL active/inactive lists which drop 90 minutes before each kickoff this Saturday and Sunday. Pay close attention to the "Questionable" tags for the Broncos and Seahawks; those players have had an extra seven days to heal, and their presence—or absence—will tell you everything you need to know about how well those teams utilized their time off.