NFL 2026 Playoff Bracket Takes Shape After Week 18
Week 18 in the NFL didn't leave much to be decided, but two divisions and the top seeds in both conferences were undecided. The NFC South and AFC North were up for grabs. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots could've had the AFC's top seed. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers battled for the top NFC seed. Now, it's all done, and we have the full bracket.
NFL playoff bracket revealed after interesting regular season
NFC
The Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. That game was for both the NFC West crown and the number one seed, so now the Seahawks will get the bye as they wait to see who they will face next.
The Chicago Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers, but the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Washington Commanders. That put the Bears in the two spot (they'd already locked up the NFC North title) and the defending champion Eagles in the three spot.
The Carolina Panthers, with an 8-9 record and -69 point differential, captured the NFC South and the fourth seed. They lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a rain-soaked, controversy-filled affair on Saturday, but because the Atlanta Falcons won on Sunday, the Panthers got the tiebreaker.
The fifth seed went to the Los Angeles Rams, who ended a bit of a slide with a decisive win that might've won Matthew Stafford the MVP award. They're the first wild card. The San Francisco 49ers, because of their loss, fell to sixth overall.
Finally, the Packers took the final playoff spot and are the seventh seed. Here's the schedule:
- 4 Panthers vs. 5 Rams - Saturday, 4:30 pm ET
- 2 Bears vs. 7 Packers - Saturday, 8:00 pm ET
- 3 Eagles vs. 6 49ers - Sunday, 4:30 pm ET
The Seahawks await, and whatever team will have to face them in Seattle. The NFC runs through Seattle. They will face either the Panthers, Rams, 49ers, or Packers, depending on the results of this week.
AFC
In the AFC, the Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers to capture the number one seed. The Chargers were locked into their position, so they rested starters, including QB Justin Herbert. The result was an easy win for Denver.
The New England Patriots won, but they are relegated to the number two seed and AFC East title thanks to the Broncos win. Drake Maye is an MVP candidate, and his team won 14 games this year en route to the first division title post-Tom Brady.
The three seed goes to the red-hot Jacksonvilla Jaguars. Their dominant win over the Tennessee Titans cemented the AFC South title. Had the above two seeds lost, Jacksonville would've landed the top seed, but they didn't.
The fourth seed and final division winner was decided on Sunday night. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers duked it out and had an insane, whirlwind of a fourth quarter. The Steelers took the lead with less than a minute remaining, and the Ravens would miss a game-winning kick with no time left. The Steelers captured the final playoff spot.
That leaves the Houston Texans, who were in play for the AFC South crown had the Jaguars lost, as the fifth seed. They're the first wild-card team. The Buffalo Bills are the sixth seed, but the playoff field is wide open for Josh Allen.
Finally, the Chargers captured the seventh seed, which was always the case heading into the weekend. Here's the schedule:
- 3 Jaguars vs. 6 Bills - Sunday, 1:00 pm ET
- 2 Patriots vs. 7 Chargers - Sunday, 8:00 pm ET
- 4 Steelers vs. 5 Texans - Monday, 8:00 pm ET
The Broncos await. They can face the Steelers, Texans, Bills, or Chargers. Top seeds face the lowest seed remaining after one weekend of games.
