{"id":759171,"date":"2026-02-17T23:07:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/759171\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:07:08","slug":"whos-in-the-nfl-playoffs-2026-updated-standings-bracket-matchups-for-afc-and-nfc-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/759171\/","title":{"rendered":"Who’s in the NFL playoffs 2026? Updated standings, bracket, matchups for AFC and NFC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who’s in the NFL playoffs 2026? Updated standings, bracket, matchups for AFC and NFC<\/a> originally appeared on The Sporting News<\/a>. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s almost time for playoff football.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Fourteen teams between the AFC and NFC will be in the NFL playoffs, and 12 of the spots were already determined before Week 18. There were two spots still up for grabs in the final week of the regular season, and both were divisional spots with the winners making the playoffs as the respective No. 4 seed in their conferences.<\/p>\n

Coming into Week 18, just one team had been locked into a playoff spot with the Green Bay Packers<\/a> earning the No. 7 seed for the NFC. Up for grabs entering the week was the No. 4 seed in the AFC between either the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> or Baltimore Ravens<\/a>, plus the No. 4 seed in the NFC between either the Carolina Panthers<\/a> or Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>. Outside of those, the NFL playoff bracket had a lot of solidifying to do in the final week.<\/p>\n

Here is an\u00a0updated look at the standings, bracket and matchups for the 2026 NFL playoffs for both the AFC and NFC.<\/p>\n

MORE:Updated NFL final playoff picture after Week 18<\/a><\/p>\n

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NFL playoff bracket 2026\"\"<\/p>\n

Here is a current look at the playoff bracket.<\/p>\n

AFC<\/p>\n

1. Denver Broncos<\/a> (BYE)
2. New England Patriots<\/a> vs. 7. Los Angeles Chargers<\/a>
3. Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> vs. 6. Buffalo Bills
4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. 5. Houston Texans<\/a><\/p>\n

NFC<\/p>\n

1. Seattle Seahawks (BYE)
2. Chicago Bears vs. 7. Green Bay Packers
3. Philadelphia Eagles vs. 6. San Francisco 49ers
4. Carolina Panthers vs. 5. Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0Ranking the 14 teams in the 2026 NFL playoffs<\/p>\n

Who’s in the NFL playoffs 2026?AFC standings<\/p>\n

Seed<\/p>\n

Team<\/p>\n

Record<\/p>\n

1<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos<\/p>\n

14-3<\/p>\n

2<\/p>\n

New England Patriots<\/p>\n

14-3<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

Jacksonville Jaguars<\/p>\n

13-4<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n

10-7<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

Houston Texans<\/p>\n

12-5<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

12-5<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n

11-6<\/p>\n

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)<\/p>\n

Eliminated: Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

NFC standings<\/p>\n

Seed<\/p>\n

Team<\/p>\n

Record<\/p>\n

1<\/p>\n

Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n

14-3<\/p>\n

2<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears<\/p>\n

11-6<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Eagles<\/p>\n

11-6<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

Carolina Panthers<\/p>\n

8-9<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

12-5<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers<\/p>\n

12-5<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers<\/p>\n

9-7-1<\/p>\n

Eliminated: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants.<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0Ranking all 14 teams’ chances to win Super Bowl 60<\/a><\/p>\n

AFC playoff matchups<\/p>\n

1. Denver Broncos (BYE)<\/p>\n

2. New England Patriots vs. 7. Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n

The Patriots and the Chargers will meet in the first round of the playoffs, but they did not meet in the regular season. Drake Maye and Justin Herbert will go head-to-head in Foxborough.<\/p>\n

3. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 6. Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

The Jaguars will host the Bills over Wild Card Weekend, as Josh Allen seeks to begin a long-awaited Super Bowl run, while Trevor Lawrence looks to make some noise after a successful 2025 season. Jacksonville and Buffalo didn’t play this season.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. 5. Houston Texans<\/p>\n

Houston played Baltimore back in Week 5. The game was on the road for the Texans, but they took care of business as the Ravens were without Lamar Jackson and the Houston defense terrorized Cooper Rush. The Texans won 44-10 with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing four touchdowns. Houston will head to Pittsburgh for this matchup, facing Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.<\/p>\n

NFC playoff matchups<\/p>\n

1. Seattle Seahawks (BYE)<\/p>\n

2. Chicago Bears vs. 7. Green Bay Packers<\/p>\n

The Bears and Packers played twice during the regular season, with both games coming within three weeks. Green Bay won the first game in Chicago 28-21. The Bears got their revenge in Week 16 with a 22-16 victory in overtime. In the rematch, Chicago was trailing 16-9 at the two-minute warning and won in overtime after quarterback Caleb Williams hit DJ Moore for a 46-yard score.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

3. Philadelphia Eagles vs. 6. San Francisco 49ers<\/p>\n

The Eagles and 49ers did not play in the regular season. As Philadelphia continues its quest for a second-straight Super Bowl, San Francisco is seeking to make a run behind Brock Purdy.<\/p>\n

4. Carolina Panthers vs. 5. Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

While the Buccaneers beat the Panthers in their Week 18 matchup, because the Falcons beat the Saints, the Panthers still claimed the NFC South’s title in 2025. That came with the No. 4 seed, as the tiebreaker favored Carolina.<\/p>\n

The Rams were in the mix for the overall No. 1 seed in the NFC through the late season, but instead fell to the No. 5 spot. Matthew Stafford and company will be traveled to Carolina for Wild Card Weekend.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

On Jan. 10, the Rams defeated the Panthers 34-31, surviving a real scare as Carolina jumped out in front twice in the second half but ultimately came up short thanks to a litany of mistakes.<\/a><\/p>\n

MORE NFL WEEK 18 NEWS:<\/p>\n

NFL playoff schedule 2026Wild-card round<\/p>\n

Saturday, Jan. 10<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

No. 5 Los Angeles Rams 34,\u00a0No. 4 Carolina Panthers 31<\/p>\n

Carolina<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Fox<\/p>\n

No. 2 Chicago Bears 31,\u00a0No. 7 Green Bay Packers 27<\/p>\n

Chicago<\/p>\n

8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/p>\n

Sunday, Jan.\u00a011<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

No. 6 Buffalo Bills\u00a0vs. No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars<\/p>\n

Jacksonville<\/p>\n

1 p.m.<\/p>\n

CBS<\/p>\n

No. 6 San Francisco 49ers vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles<\/p>\n

Philadelphia<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Fox<\/p>\n

No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers vs. No. 2 New England Patriots<\/p>\n

New England<\/p>\n

8 p.m.<\/p>\n

NBC<\/p>\n

Monday, Jan.\u00a012<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

Houston Texans vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

8 p.m.<\/p>\n

ESPN, ABC<\/p>\n

Divisional round<\/p>\n

Saturday, Jan. 17\u00a0<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

Sunday, Jan.\u00a018<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

Conference Championship round<\/p>\n

Sunday, Jan. 25<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD vs. TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

Super Bowl<\/p>\n

Sunday, Feb. 8<\/p>\n

Matchup<\/p>\n

Location<\/p>\n

Time (ET)<\/p>\n

Channel<\/p>\n

NFC champ vs. AFC champ<\/p>\n

Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA<\/p>\n

TBD<\/p>\n

NBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who’s in the NFL playoffs 2026? Updated standings, bracket, matchups for AFC and NFC originally appeared on The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":665919,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[1586,115,390,254,117,2644,53,1028,1036,260,391,256,54,5898,257,258,113,1475,833,7,41,345,253,392,125,872,1159,110,895,393,262,58,32,251,259,1167,249,55,56,255,6,84,109,57,1161,252,261,250,394,314,111],"class_list":{"0":"post-759171","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-playoffs","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers","9":"tag-afc","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals","11":"tag-atlanta-falcons","12":"tag-baltimore-ravens","13":"tag-brock-purdy","14":"tag-buffalo-bills","15":"tag-c-j-stroud","16":"tag-caleb-williams","17":"tag-carolina-panthers","18":"tag-chicago-bears","19":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","20":"tag-cleveland-browns","21":"tag-cooper-rush","22":"tag-dallas-cowboys","23":"tag-denver-broncos","24":"tag-detroit-lions","25":"tag-dj-moore","26":"tag-drake-maye","27":"tag-football","28":"tag-green-bay","29":"tag-green-bay-packers","30":"tag-houston-texans","31":"tag-indianapolis-colts","32":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","33":"tag-josh-allen","34":"tag-justin-herbert","35":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","36":"tag-lamar-jackson","37":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","38":"tag-los-angeles-chargers","39":"tag-los-angeles-rams","40":"tag-matthew-stafford","41":"tag-miami-dolphins","42":"tag-minnesota-vikings","43":"tag-new-england","44":"tag-new-england-patriots","45":"tag-new-orleans-saints","46":"tag-new-york-giants","47":"tag-new-york-jets","48":"tag-nfl","49":"tag-nfl-playoffs","50":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","51":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","52":"tag-san-francisco","53":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","54":"tag-seattle-seahawks","55":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","56":"tag-tennessee-titans","57":"tag-trevor-lawrence","58":"tag-washington-commanders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=759171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759171\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/665919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=759171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=759171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=759171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}