Patriots Issue Statement Following NFL’s Final Wild Card Ruling

Foxborough, Massachusetts – January 5, 2026

The New England Patriots are officially back where they believe they belong — the postseason spotlight. After securing the No. 2 seed in the AFC, New England will open its playoff run in prime time, hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Wild Card Weekend in a nationally televised matchup that signals both opportunity and expectation.

The NFL revealed its Wild Card schedule during halftime of Sunday Night Football, once 13 of the league’s 14 playoff teams had been locked in. Among the six games, one stood out immediately: Chargers at Patriots, slotted for Sunday night, January 11, at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC. For New England, it’s more than just a kickoff time — it’s confirmation that the league views the Patriots as a central figure in the opening act of the postseason.

As the No. 2 seed, the Patriots earned the right to open at home, a significant advantage in January football. Gillette Stadium will host a playoff game under the brightest lights, where pressure and opportunity coexist. The Chargers arrive as the seventh seed with nothing to lose, while New England carries the weight of expectations that come with a strong regular season and a favorable path.

The broader Wild Card Weekend schedule reflects a carefully curated slate designed for maximum drama. Saturday opens with Rams at Panthers (FOX) before Packers visit the Bears in prime time on Prime Video. Sunday features Bills at Jaguars, 49ers at Eagles, and closes with Chargers at Patriots. The weekend concludes Monday night, when the Texans travel to face either the Ravens or Steelers on ESPN and ABC.

Above it all sit the conference top seeds. The Denver Broncos in the AFC and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC earned first-round byes, securing rest and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That reality only sharpens the stakes for teams like New England, where every round must be earned the hard way.

For the Patriots, this moment feels different from recent seasons. They are no longer simply chasing relevance or survival. They enter the Wild Card round positioned, prepared, and tested — a team with a high seed, a home crowd, and the league’s full attention. Prime time brings pressure, but it also brings clarity.

Wild Card Weekend will not just mark New England’s return to playoff football. It will serve as a statement opportunity — a chance for the Patriots to prove that their regular-season success was not a ceiling, but a foundation. And under the lights of Sunday night, the NFL has made it clear: the road through the AFC will once again run through Foxborough.