2027 NFL Playoff Picture, Future Predictions

ByShaikat Kumar

A total of 14 teams out of 32 will qualify for the 2027 NFL Postseason, sending seven teams each from the AFC and NFC conferences. Under the current NFL playoff system, the field in each conference is made up of four division winners (seeded No. 1 through No. 4) and three wild-card teams with the best remaining records (seeded No. 5 through No. 7).

The postseason structure functions through single-elimination rounds:

The No. 1 Seed Advantage: The top seed in both the AFC and NFC earns a first-round bye and automatic home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

They skip the opening weekend and advance straight to the Divisional Round.

Wild Card Weekend Matchups: The remaining six teams in each conference battle in the opening round based on their seeding:

  • The No. 2 seed hosts the No. 7 seed
  • The No. 3 seed hosts the No. 6 seed
  • The No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed

2027 AFC Playoff Picture

  1. TBA (0-0) (East winner)
  2. TBA (0-0) (West winner)
  3. TBA (0-0) (North winner)
  4. TBA (0-0) (South winner)
  5. TBA (0-0)
  6. TBA (0-0)
  7. TBA (0-0)

In the hunt

  1. TBA (0-0)
  2. TBA (0-0)
  3. TBA (0-0)

2027 NFC Playoff Picture

  1. TBA (0-0) (East winner)
  2. TBA (0-0) (West winner)
  3. TBA (0-0) (North winner)
  4. TBA (0-0) (South winner)
  5. TBA (0-0)
  6. TBA (0-0)
  7. TBA (0-0)

In the hunt

  1. TBA (0-0)
  2. TBA (0-0)
  3. TBA (0-0)

Wild Card Playoffs Schedule and Results

Saturday, January 9, 2027

  • AFC: TBA vs TBA
  • AFC: TBA vs TBA

Sunday, January 10, 2027

  • AFC: TBA vs TBA
  • NFC: TBA vs TBA
  • NFC: TBA vs TBA

Monday, January 11, 2027

  • NFC: TBA vs TBA

Divisional playoffs scenarios

Saturday, January 16, 2027

  • AFC: TBA vs TBA
  • NFC: TBA vs TBA

Sunday, January 17, 2027

  • NFC: TBA vs TBA
  • AFC: TBA vs TBA

Conference Championships

Sunday, January 24, 2027

  • NFC Championship: TBA vs TBA
  • AFC Championship: TBA vs TBA

Super Bowl LXI

Date: February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video will televise the playoffs, and ESPN/ABC will televise Super Bowl LXI.