Final Weekend of the 2025-26 NFL Regular Season

The final weekend of the 2025-26 NFL regular season is upon us, and the playoff bracket is finally coming into focus. With two playoff spots still up for grabs, the field is in a state of flux as teams battle for their place in the postseason. Heading into Week 18, only the Green Bay Packers are locked into a position as the No. 7 seed in the NFC.

The weekend kicks off on Saturday with two games, followed by the rest of the matchups on Sunday. The day starts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Carolina Panthers, and it concludes with the Pittsburgh Steelers facing the Baltimore Ravens in a high-stakes Sunday Night Football matchup. These games will determine which team secures the No. 4 seed in each conference, while the other will be eliminated from playoff contention entirely.

By the end of Saturday, we’ll have clarity on the NFC’s No. 1 and No. 4 seeds. Meanwhile, by the close of Sunday, the entire playoff bracket will be settled.

The number one seed in each conference earns a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The remaining six teams in each conference will face off in the Wild Card round next weekend.

AFC Playoff Bracket

In the AFC, the Denver Broncos have the opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win. The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars will need to win and receive some external help to secure their positions. How these outcomes play out will also determine the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. The Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens will claim the No. 4 seed based on their Sunday Night Football matchup. Finally, the three wild card seeds remain to be determined. The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers are already locked in as wild cards, while the Houston Texans could either become a wild card or a division winner by Sunday afternoon.

Here is the current AFC playoff bracket:

1. Denver Broncos (14-3)
2. New England Patriots (14-3) host 7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) host 6. Buffalo Bills (12-5)

Clinched playoff berth

Clinched division title

Clinched No. 1 seed

Bold: Locked into seeding

NFC Playoff Bracket

In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks-49ers matchup on Saturday night will decide the No. 1 seed. The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles will take their places as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds based on their respective Sunday results. The Carolina Panthers-Baltimore Buccaneers game will determine the No. 4 seed. The Los Angeles Rams and the loser of the Seahawks-49ers game will be the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, depending on their outcomes. The Green Bay Packers are already locked into the No. 7 seed.

Here is the current NFC playoff bracket:

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
2. Chicago Bears (11-6) host 7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) host 6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)

Clinched playoff berth

Clinched division title

Clinched No. 1 seed

Bold: Locked into seeding

Week 18 Results

Sunday 4 p.m. Results

The Broncos held off the Chargers to claim the No. 1 seed, while the Patriots defeated the Dolphins to secure the No. 2 seed and lock in the Jaguars at No. 3. The Bills won their game, while the Chargers lost, moving Buffalo into the No. 6 seed and Los Angeles into the No. 7 seed.

In the NFC, the Bears and Eagles both lost their games, meaning they remain in the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. The Rams beat the Cardinals, moving them up to the No. 5 seed and dropping the 49ers to the No. 6 seed.

Sunday 1 p.m. Results

The Jaguars easily beat the Titans to clinch the AFC South title and keep their chances alive for the No. 1 seed. The Broncos and Patriots will face off in the 4:25 p.m. window, and the wild card picture will be finalized then as well with the Chargers and Bills in action. The Texans secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC bracket after defeating the Colts on a late field goal and big man touchdown.

In the NFC, the Panthers reached the playoffs thanks to the Falcons. Although the Panthers lost to the Bucs on Saturday, they made it into the playoffs when the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday.

Saturday, Seahawks-49ers Result

The Seahawks defeated the 49ers to close out Week 18 on Saturday, securing the NFC West, the No. 1 seed, and a first-round bye with the win. The 49ers will play in the Wild Card round as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. If the Rams beat the Cardinals on Sunday, Los Angeles will be the No. 5 seed and San Francisco will be the No. 6 seed. If the Cardinals lose, those seeds will be swapped.

Saturday, Panthers-Bucs Result

The Bucs defeated the Panthers on Saturday to open Week 18 and are now in first place in the NFC South. They can only clinch the division if the Saints beat the Falcons on Sunday. If the Falcons beat the Saints, the Panthers will claim the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head record against the Bucs and Falcons.