2026 NFL Playoff Bracket: Current Format
The 2026 NFL playoffs bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, January 4, 2026, after the conclusion of the regular season. Here’s how the 2026 NFL Playoff format will work through Super Bowl LX.
AFC Leaders if the season ended today after Week 18
- Denver (14-3) (West winner)
- New England (14-3) (East winner)
- Jacksonville (13-4) (South winner)
- Pittsburgh (10-7) (North winner)
Wildcard seed
- Houston (12-5)
- Buffalo (12-5)
- LA Chargers (11-6)
AFC Wild Card Round
- (1) Denver Broncos – BYE
- (2) New England Patriots vs (7) L.A. Chargers
- (3) Jacksonville Jaguars vs (6) Buffalo Bills
- (4) Pittsburgh Steelers vs (5) Houston Texans
NFC Leaders if the season ended today after Week 18
- Seattle (14-3) (West winner)
- Chicago (11-6) (North winner)
- Philadelphia (11-6) (East winner)
- Carolina (8-9) (South winner)
Wildcard seed
- LA Rams (12-5)
- San Francisco (12-5)
- Green Bay (9-7-1)
NFC Wild Card Round
- (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) LA Rams
Read more: 2026 NFL Playoff Picture
How will the 2026 NFL playoff bracket work?
In the 2025-2026 NFL season, there are four division best records from each conference (AFC and NFC) will be seeded 1 through 4, and three wild-card qualifiers will be seeded 5, through 7. The No. 2 division winner will host the lowest-seeded wild-card team, the No. 3 division winner will host the No. 2 wild-card team, and the No. 4 division winner will host the top-seeded wild-card team.
The team with the best record in each conference will earn the No. 1 seed, receiving a first-round bye and facing the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Playoffs, while the second-lowest remaining seed will play against the second-highest remaining seed.
How the Wild Card round will work
No. 1 seed has a bye
No. 2 seed hosts No. 7 seed
No. 3 seed hosts No. 6 seed
No. 4 seed hosts No. 5 seed
Who hosts the Divisional round?
The conference leader will host the winners of the wild card’s lowest seed.
The second seed will host the remaining seed, and that will work in both the AFC and the NFC conferences.
Where Conference Championship 2026 will be played?
The two Divisional winners will play in the conference championships in the 2026 NFL playoffs.
2026 Super Bowl Game:
AFC Champion vs the NFC Champion will meet up for the league championship game, Super Bowl LX will be played on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California.