When do the Detroit Lions play next in the 2025 NFL playoffs?
After beating the Minnesota Vikings, 31-9, in a dominant last game of the season at Ford Field, the Lions will not be on the field for the first round of the playoffs.
That’s great news for a Lions squad that has earned the 1-seed in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the postseason until the Super Bowl with a huge win with everything on the line.
Had the Lions lost, they would’ve been on the road for a Monday Night Football game vs. the Rams. Now, that will be the Vikings instead after getting swept by Dan Campbell’s squad.
NBC’s Mike Tirico announced the playoff schedule in the first quarter of the Lions-Vikings game.
Without getting the 1-seed, the Lions would miss out on the first-round bye and start their road to the Super Bowl on the road in Los Angeles in the wild-card round.
It would’ve been the second straight year the Lions have played former quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Rams in the first round and the third time they’ve played them in the last 12 months after the Lions beat the Rams in the playoffs last year, 24-23, and then beat them again in Week 1, 26-20, in overtime.
But for now, fans don’t have to worry about Stafford and McVay. At least for a week.
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Here’s what we do know about when the Lions will be on the field next:
When do Detroit Lions play next?
The Lions will be off for a week and will get some much needed rest and recovery before returning to the field either Jan. 18 or Jan. 19, depending on what the NFL schedules.
Current NFC playoff picture
- Lions (15-2, NFC North leader, hold tiebreaker with Vikings)
- Eagles (14-3, NFC East winner)
- Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winner)
- Rams (10-7, NFC West winner)
- Vikings (14-3, clinched playoff berth)
- Commanders (12-5, wild card)
- Packers (11-6, wild card)
Who will Detroit Lions play in playoffs?
Just about the only teams the Lions can’t play in the divisional round would be the Eagles and Buccaneers.
The NFL reseeds after the wild-card round, so the Lions will play whichever team is the lowest-remaining seed out of the Rams, Vikings, Commanders or Packers.
Check out our predictions here.
2024-25 NFL playoff schedule
Wild-card round: Jan. 11-13.
Divisional round: Jan. 18-19.
Conference championships: Jan. 26.
Super Bowl 59: Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
