The Seattle Seahawks secured a dominant 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, claiming the NFC West title and earning the conference’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs. As the top seed in the NFC, the Seahawks will receive a first-round bye, giving them an extra week to recover and prepare for their next challenge.

This playoff structure allows the Seahawks to face a variety of potential opponents in the divisional round, depending on the outcomes of the wild-card matchups. The NFL’s dynamic bracket system re-seeds after each round, which means that Seattle could potentially face several different teams based on how the rest of the playoffs unfold.

Who Will the Seahawks Play Next?

The exact opponent for the Seahawks’ first playoff game is not yet determined, as it depends on the results of the wild-card games. However, there are four main potential teams that could face Seattle in the first round:

• NFC South winner (Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
  
  The NFC South champion will be determined by the outcome of the Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints game. If the Saints win, the Buccaneers remain the division champions. If the Falcons win, the Panthers take the title.

• San Francisco 49ers
  
  The 49ers have already secured a wild-card spot and are expected to be one of the top seeds in the NFC. They will likely be the No. 5 seed if they lose to the Seahawks in the regular season.

• Los Angeles Rams
  
  The Rams have also locked in a wild-card berth and are projected to be the No. 6 seed. They will need to win their final game to secure a higher seed.

• Green Bay Packers
  
  The Packers have clinched a wild-card spot and are currently the No. 7 seed. They will face the Chicago Bears in the first round, with the winner advancing to face the Seahawks.

Seattle will play the lowest-seeded team that advances through the wild-card rounds, ensuring they face the toughest possible opponent in the divisional round.

Current NFC Playoff Bracket

Here is the current projected NFC playoff bracket entering the final day of the regular season:

• No. 1: Seattle Seahawks (BYE)
• No. 2: Chicago Bears vs. No. 7: Green Bay Packers
• No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6: Los Angeles Rams
• No. 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 5: San Francisco 49ers

Only the Seahawks and Packers have secured their respective seeds. The Bears and Eagles are expected to be the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, while the Rams and 49ers will be the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds. The No. 4 seed will be decided by the outcome of the Falcons vs. Saints game.

NFL Playoff Schedule

The 2025-26 NFL playoffs will begin on January 10 with the wild-card games, culminating in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8.

Wild Card Weekend

• Saturday, January 10
• 4:30 p.m. ET

• 8:00 p.m. ET

• Sunday, January 11

• 1:00 p.m. ET
• 4:30 p.m. ET

• 8:15 p.m. ET

• Monday, January 12

• 8:15 p.m. ET

Divisional Round

• Saturday, January 17
• 4:30 p.m. ET

• 8:15 p.m. ET

• Sunday, January 18

• 3:00 p.m. ET
• 6:30 p.m. ET

Conference Championship Round

• Sunday, January 25
• AFC Championship Game: 3:00 p.m. ET
• NFC Championship Game: 6:30 p.m. ET

Super Bowl 60

• Date: February 8, 2026
• Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC

Final Week 18 Standings

AFC

• Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)
• New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
• Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)
• Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)
• Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)
• In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

• Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)
• Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)
• Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, NFC South leaders)
• San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 1)
• Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)
• Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)
• In the hunt: Carolina Panthers (8-9)

Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have clinched a playoff spot, with those noted as division winners having secured their titles.