NFL 2026 Playoffs define 14 ranked teams with Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks as main seeds

The NFL regular season ended on January 5, 2026 and defined the 14 teams that will compete in the playoffs for the 2025-26 season. Sete teams from each conference advanced, with Denver Broncos in the AFC and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC achieving the best overall campaign and a direct bye to the divisional round. The other 12 teams will face each other in the Wild Card between January 10th and 12th.

The playoffs have had an expanded format since 2020, with seven classifieds per conference. The teams with the best campaign on each side of the bracket receive a home field advantage in all rounds until Super Bowl LX, scheduled for February 8th at New Orleans. Wild Card will have six games spread over three days.

The definition took place after the last round of the regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers secured the final spots with narrow victories, while other teams had already sealed their place in the previous weeks.

Teams classified at Conferência Americana

The AFC presents Denver Broncos as seed number 1, with the best campaign in the conference and a break in the first round of the playoffs. The team finished the regular season with a strong record and receives an automatic bye to the divisional round.

New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers round out the four AFC division champions. Eles secured a home field advantage over Wild Card, hosting home games against lower-seeded opponents.

• Houston Texans (seed 5)
• Buffalo Bills (seed 6)
• Los Angeles Chargers (seed 7)

These three teams enter as wild cards and face away games in the opening round.

Teams classified at Conferência Nacional

Seattle Seahawks leads the NFC as seed 1 and also advances directly to the divisional round. The franchise achieved the best campaign in the conference and is taking advantage of the extra rest before the following clashes.

Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers appear as divisional champions. Carolina, despite an 8-9 record, won the NFC Sul and secured seed 4 with field control in the Wild Card.

• Los Angeles Rams (seed 5)
• San Francisco 49ers (seed 6)
• Green Bay Packers (seed 7)

These teams qualify as wild cards and play away from home in the opening round.

Round Wild Card clashes

Round Wild Card starts on January 10th with two games and continues until January 12th with the sixth match. Todos times follow the eastern time zone, standard for national NFL broadcasts in the Estados Unidos.

On Saturday, Carolina Panthers hosts Los Angeles Rams at 4:30 pm on Bank of America Stadium, on Charlotte. Logo later, Chicago Bears faces Green Bay Packers at 8pm on Soldier Field, on Chicago. Esses duels mark regular season rematches.

On Sunday, the day has three matches. Jacksonville Jaguars plays Buffalo Bills at 1pm at TIAA Bank Stadium. Philadelphia Eagles hosts San Francisco 49ers at 4:30pm on Lincoln Financial Field. New England Patriots ends the day against Los Angeles Chargers at 8pm on Gillette Stadium.

The round ends on Monday with Pittsburgh Steelers receiving Houston Texans at 8:15 pm on Acrisure Stadium.

Campaigns that marked the ranking

Denver Broncos stood out in the AFC with a consistent winning streak and solid defense throughout the season. The team overcame direct competitors and secured the top spot in the conference in the final rounds.

Seattle Seahawks repeated the feat in the NFC, combining a balanced attack and strong performance in divisional games. The franchise maintained its lead in the NFC Oeste and sealed the bye with positive results in the final stretch.

Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC Norte with a 10-7 campaign, driven by an experienced quarterback. The victory in the last round eliminated direct rivals and confirmed their place as divisional champion.

Carolina Panthers advanced with a negative record, but won key games in the Sul division. The team depends on Bryce Young in command of the attack to surprise in the playoffs.

Early game details

The six matches of Wild Card are distributed in stadiums of the higher seeded teams. Vencedores advance to the divisional round, where they face Denver Broncos or Seattle Seahawks, depending on the conference.

National broadcasts cover all games, with networks such as CBS, Fox and ESPN responsible for showing on Estados Unidos. Plataformas streaming services also make the matches available to subscribers.

The NFL has maintained the three-day format for Wild Card since expansion. Essa distribution allows for greater audience reach and adequate recovery between games.

Next rounds of the playoffs

After Wild Card, the divisional round takes place on January 17th and 18th. The four winners join the bye teams, forming the conference semifinals clashes.

The conference finals take place on January 25th. Vencedores of AFC and NFC decide the Super Bowl LX on February 8, at Caesars Superdome, at New Orleans.

The path to the title involves up to four wins for teams entering Wild Card. Times with a bye needs three wins to reach Super Bowl.

Recent team history

Several franchises return to the playoffs after solid campaigns in 2025. Denver Broncos is looking for a title after years of reconstruction, while Seattle Seahawks is trying to repeat the success of previous seasons.

Teams like Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers have accumulated recent appearances in the playoffs. Elas enter as strong candidates, despite playing out in the initial round.

Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers represent lower seeds with surprise potential. Ambas franchises have young squads and outstanding performances in decisive moments.