Il NFL playoff bracket 2026 represents the decisive phase of the season NFL 2025, the one that awards the title and takes two teams to Super Bowl LX. The post-season involves 14 franchises, divided between the AFC and NFC, and takes place with a direct elimination format.
How the NFL playoff bracket works
Il NFL playoff bracket is structured into four shifts:
- Wild Card Round
- Divisional Round
- Conference Championship
- Super Bowl
Each conference qualifies seven teams: four division winners and three wild cards. The number one seeded teams in the AFC and NFC advance directly to the Divisional Round via bye.
2026 NFL Playoffs Dates
The official post-season schedule is as follows:
- Wild Card Round: 10–12 January 2026
- Divisional Round: 17–18 January 2026
- Conference Championship: January 25, 2026
- Super Bowl LX: February 8, 2026
Seeds and AFC Qualified Teams
- 1. Denver Broncos (AFC West)
- 2. New England Patriots (AFC East)
- 3. Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South)
- 4. Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North)
- 5. Houston Texans (wild card)
- 6. Buffalo Bills (wild card)
- 7. Los Angeles Chargers (wild card)
NFC Qualifying Seeds and Teams
- 1. Seattle Seahawks (NFC West)
- 2. Chicago Bears (NFC North)
- 3. Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East)
- 4. Carolina Panthers (NFC South)
- 5. Los Angeles Rams (wild card)
- 6. San Francisco 49ers (wild card)
- 7. Green Bay Packers (wild card)
Wild Card Round: NFL playoff bracket pairings
Based on seeds, the first round of NFL playoff bracket predicts these matches. The match between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears stands out in particular. It is the oldest and one of the most iconic rivalries in the NFL, often referred to as “the oldest rivalry in the NFL”. He was born in 1921, when the Bears (then Decatur Staleys) faced the Packers for the first time. Not only a sporting but also a cultural contrast was immediately created: Chicago, a large industrial metropolis, against Green Bay, a small city symbol of the more traditional America.
In the 30s and 40s the Bears dominated thanks to legendary figures such as George Halas, while the Packers experienced their golden period in the 60s, led by Vince Lombardi, winning five NFL titles and the first two editions of the Super Bowl. From that moment the rivalry took on a mythical dimension.
Below are the matches that will be played between 10 and 12 January:
NFC
- Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers (10 gennaio)
- LA Rams-Carolina Panthers (January 10)
- San Francisco 49ers-Philadelphia Eagles (January 11)
AFC
- LA Chargers-New England Patriots (January 11)
- Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars (January 11)
- Houston Texas-Pittsburgh Steelers (12 gennaio)
After the Wild Card Round the reseeding: The highest seeded team always faces the lowest seeded team left in the running.
In this way, therefore, for the NFC the Seattle Seahawks will challenge the team with the lowest seed that emerges from the wild card races, as well as the Denver Broncos in the AFC.
Super Bowl LX: sede e data
The path of NFL playoff bracket ends with the Super Bowl LXscheduled for February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game awards the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the title of NFL champion of the 2025 season.
