The 2025-26 NFL Playoffs are just weeks away, and the AFC and NFC brackets have turned out to be among the most surprising fields in recent memory.
Who could have foreseen the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars or Chicago Bears — none of which posted more than five wins last year — clinching playoff spots just one season removed from near-rock-bottom campaigns, much less all of those teams making the postseason? Yet, that’s exactly the field we’re looking at right now, setting the stage for one of the most improbable and exciting NFL Playoffs we’ve seen in a while.
Keep reading below for channel information, game times and more as we prepare to watch the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs.
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WHICH TEAMS HAVE CLINCHED SPOTS IN THE 2025-26 NFL PLAYOFFS?
Here are the teams that have currently locked up spots for the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs, in order of seeding for both conferences:
AFC Playoff Teams
In the AFC, the Broncos and the Patriots are tied for the league’s best records — an outcome most considered highly unlikely given the two teams’ performance in recent years after Denver’s failed Russell Wilson experiment and the Patriots’ poor post-Tom Brady record and a new head coach at the helm for the first time in decades. They’ll take the first and second seeds.
Jacksonville is currently the third seed, an equally surprising showing from a team that has not, until now, lived up to the Trevor Lawrence hype and also had a brand-new head coach this season. The rest of the AFC clinchers are a bit more familiar: the sixth-seeded Chargers and seventh-seeded Bills have been contenders for years. The Houston Texans secured the fifth seed in Week 17, mostly on the back of their elite defensive play.
The final spot will be filled by either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens, with the Ravens having the statistically more likely path to the bottom seed. The two hopefuls will face each other in Week 18.
The Indianapolis Colts were the tragedy of the AFC, with their strong 8-1 start crumbling, especially after starter Daniel Jones tore his ACL and 44-year-old Philip Rivers had to come out of retirement to step under center. Despite Rivers’ best effort, they were eliminated in Week 17.
Clinched:
- Denver Broncos (13-3)
- New England Patriots (13-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)
- Houston Texans (11-5)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-5)
In contention:
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
AFC First Round Matchups
Here’s what the AFC bracket would look like if the season ended today:
- (1) Broncos – First Round Bye
- (2) Patriots vs. (7) Bills
- (3) Jaguars vs. (6) Chargers
- (4) Steelers vs. (5) Texans
NFC Playoff Teams
Over in the NFC, the Sam Darnold-led Seattle Seahawks are firmly entrenched in the top seed, proving that Darnold’s phoenix-like career revival with that began with the Minnesota Vikings was not merely a fluke. The Chicago Bears are close behind in second place after former Detroit offensive mastermind Ben Johnson’s first season as the Chicago head coach and Caleb Williams’ development marked a massive turnaround for the struggling franchise.
The defending champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, are in third, though they’ve shown some concerning inconsistency on both sides of the ball for a team that just hoisted the Lombardi over the Kansas City Chiefs less than a year ago. San Francisco punched their own ticket after Kyle Shanahan deftly navigated some significant early-season injuries to his top starters, and the Rams rode Matthew Stafford’s MVP caliber season into a playoffs lock, as well.
Green Bay punched their postseason ticket in Week 17, while Carolina has been running a significantly better campaign than those of recent seasons and remains in the hunt. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a squad that was considered a shoo-in playoff contender to start the season — are also fighting to keep their postseason hopes afloat.
- Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
- Chicago Bears (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)
In contention:
- Carolina Panthers (8-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
NFC First Round Matchups
Here’s what the AFC bracket would look like if the season ended today:
- (1) Seahawks – First Round Bye
- (2) Bears vs. (7) Packers
- (3) Eagles vs. (6) Rams
- (4) Panthers vs. (5) 49ers
2025-26 NFL Playoffs Schedule
Here’s the full schedule for the 2025-26 NFL post-season.
Wild Card Round
- January 10-12
Divisional Round
- January 17-18
Conference Round
- January 25
Super Bowl LX
- February 8 at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California (San Francisco 49ers home stadium)
FULL NFL SCHEDULE
Don’t miss a single moment of this year’s NFL playoffs thanks to this interactive schedule from DIRECTV.
Top NFL Playoff Questions
Find all the answers you need to the most pressing questions surrounding the exciting NFL postseason.
How to Watch NFL Playoff Games?
From Wild Card Weekend through the Divisional and Conference Championships all the way to the Super Bowl, the games can be found on different channels and streaming services, including CBS, FOX, or NBC. Find full tune-in info above.
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
Each postseason, 14 teams make it to the NFL playoffs. This includes seven teams from the AFC and seven teams from the NFC. The top team from each conference receives a Wild Card Round bye.
When do NFL playoffs start?
The NFL playoffs kick off on Saturday, January 10, 2026 and finish with Super Bowl LIX on February 8, 2026.
How do NFL playoffs work?
Seven teams from each conference (14 total) make it to the NFL postseason. This includes four division winners and three wildcard teams. The top-seeded team from each conference will receive a bye week to begin the postseason and will also get home-field advantage. Each winner from the postseason games (division/conference championships) will move forward, while the losing team is eliminated.
The playoffs will culminate with the big game, Super Bowl LIX, on February 8, 2026.
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