NFL: One of six wild-card games to be played on Monday night

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

NFL announces one of six wild-card games to be played on Monday night

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 9/24/21

The NFL is extending Wild Card Weekend.

The league announced Friday that one of its six first-round playoff games will be played Monday, Jan. 17, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

NFL announces Wild Card Weekend’s sixth and final game will now be held on Monday night. No need to overcomplicate this—Monday night is a better TV ratings window than Saturday at 1 p.m.

Moving Super Bowl back cleared the way for this (erasing the conflict with CFP title game).
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 24, 2021

The broadcaster for the Monday night game has not yet been determined.

CBS and NBC are each set to broadcast two wild-card games while FOX and ABC/ESPN will both be handling a game. Two games will be played on Saturday and three on Sunday before the round wraps up Monday night.

Here is the schedule (all times ET):

Saturday, Jan. 15
Game 1: 4:35 p.m.
Game 2: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 16
Game 1: 1:05 p.m.
Game 2: 4:40 p.m.
Game 3: 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 17
Game 1: 8:15 p.m.

The expansion to a 17-game regular season allowed the NFL the option to add a wild-card game on Monday night. In previous seasons, the league would have been conflicted with the college football title game.

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90.

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