Frequently asked questions
What is the NFL playoff picture right now?
In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills (1, 7-1), the Denver Broncos (2, 7-2), the Jacksonville Jaguars (3, 6-2), the Pittsburgh Steelers (4, 6-2), the Kansas City Chiefs (5, 6-2), the Cincinnati Bengals (6, 6-2) and the New England Patriots (7, 5-4) hold the seven playoff spots. In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers (1, 7-1), the Chicago Bears (2, 7-2), the New York Giants (3, 5-2-1), the Carolina Panthers (4, 3-5), the Detroit Lions (5, 6-2), the Minnesota Vikings (6, 6-2) and the Green Bay Packers (7, 6-3) hold the seven playoff spots after Week 9. The No. 1 seed in each conference has the only first-round bye.
Who is the No. 1 seed in the AFC?
The Buffalo Bills (7-1) hold the AFC's No. 1 seed after Week 9, which brings the conference's only first-round bye and home field through the AFC Championship.
Who is the No. 1 seed in the NFC?
The San Francisco 49ers (7-1) hold the NFC's No. 1 seed after Week 9, which brings the conference's only first-round bye and home field through the NFC Championship.
Who is in the AFC wild card race?
The Kansas City Chiefs (6-2), the Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) and the New England Patriots (5-4) hold the AFC wild card spots after Week 9; next in line: the Cleveland Browns (5-4, level on record), the Las Vegas Raiders (4-5, 1 game back) and the Baltimore Ravens (4-5, 1 game back).
Who is in the NFC wild card race?
The Detroit Lions (6-2), the Minnesota Vikings (6-2) and the Green Bay Packers (6-3) hold the NFC wild card spots after Week 9; next in line: the Seattle Seahawks (5-4, 1 game back), the Los Angeles Rams (5-4, 1 game back) and the Dallas Cowboys (4-5, 2 games back).
Which NFL teams are eliminated from playoff contention?
No team is mathematically eliminated from the 2026 playoffs yet after Week 9; a team is out once it can no longer win its division and seven conference teams already have more wins than it can reach.
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
14 teams make the NFL playoffs, 7 from each conference: the 4 division winners, seeded 1 to 4 by record, and 3 wild cards, seeded 5 to 7. Only the No. 1 seed in each conference has a first-round bye.
How are NFL playoff seeds decided?
NFL playoff seeds go by record: the 4 division winners take seeds 1 to 4 and the 3 best other teams take seeds 5 to 7. Ties are broken by head-to-head, division record, common games and conference record, in that order.