We have 11 of the 14 playoff spots sealed in the NFL entering Week 17, and there’s a chance that all of them are filled by Sunday at dinner time.
Here’s where things stand after the Lions vs. Vikings game on Christmas Day, which saw the Packers clinch the final playoff spot in the NFC:
NFL Playoff Picture
AFC
- Denver Broncos (12-3)*
- New England Patriots (12-3)*
- Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)*
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)*
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)*
- Houston Texans (10-5)
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (8-7), Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
* Clinched playoffs
The AFC North could be decided this week. The Steelers can clinch with either a Ravens loss to the Packers on Saturday night or by beating the Browns on Sunday.
A similar scenario is in place for the final wild-card spot. If the Texans beat the Chargers on Saturday, they are in. If not, the Colts host the Jaguars on Sunday. If Indianapolis wins and Houston loses, the two teams will face off in a loser-goes-home matchup for the final AFC playoff spot.
The race for seeding is also tight in the AFC. The Broncos cannot slip up as they look to clinch the No. 1 seed with the Patriots hot on their tail and the Jaguars one game back of both. Also, the Chargers and Bills are neck and neck in the race for the No. 5 seed.
NFC
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)*
- Chicago Bears (11-4)*
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)*
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- San Francisco 49ers (11-4)*
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)*
- Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)*
In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
* Clinched playoffs
The Packers clinched a playoff spot with the Lions’ loss to the Vikings on Christmas. Detroit was eliminated with the defeat, and now Green Bay is competing with Chicago for the NFC North.
With that, there’s only one NFC playoff spot up for grabs. The Panthers can clinch the NFC South this weekend with a win over the Seahawks and Buccaneers loss to the Dolphins. Otherwise, the division will be decided when the two teams meet in Week 18 at Raymond James Stadium.
NFL Playoff Bracket
AFC
- (1) Broncos receive a bye
- (2) Patriots vs. (7) Texans
- (3) Jaguars vs. (6) Bills
- (4) Steelers vs. (5) Chargers
NFC
- (1) Seahawks receive a bye
- (2) Bears vs. (7) Packers
- (3) Eagles vs. (6) Rams
- (4) Panthers vs. (5) 49ers
NFL Playoff Schedule
- January 10-12, 2026: Wild-card round
- January 17-18: Divisional round
- January 25: AFC and NFC championship games
- February 8: Super Bowl LX (in Santa Clara, California)
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