NFL Playoff Schedule 2026, Bracket Dates and Updated AFC, NFC Scenarios

The NFL playoff picture isn't totally set in stone, but you could sketch out a good deal of it in permanent marker.

Just two playoff bids remain up for grabs, and they'll go to the respective division winners in the AFC North and NFC South. Four division champions have been crowned already.

That said, the No. 1 seeds in each conference remain unclaimed, as do the other four division titles. So, there's a good deal still to sort out, and several of these squabbles will be decided by can't-miss collisions in Week 18.

NFL Playoff Schedule

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Wild Card round: Jan. 10-12

Divisional round: Jan. 17-18

AFC, NFC championships: Jan. 25

Super Bowl LX: Feb. 8 (in Santa Clara, Calif.)

AFC Scenarios

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Let's start right at the top where the Broncos, Patriots and Jaguars are all vying for the No. 1 seed.

Denver, which hosts the Chargers, can snag the spot—plus the bye and home-field advantage that comes along with it—with a win. A Broncos' loss, however, could leave the door ajar. A Denver loss combined with a New England win over visiting Miami, for instance, would give the Patriots the No. 1 spot.

If both the Broncos and Patriots lose, the Jaguars could swipe it with a win over the visiting Titans. Should all three teams lose, the Broncos would get the nod.

Jacksonville has even more at stake, as a win over Tennessee would give it the AFC South title. But if the Jaguars lose and the Texans top the Colts at home, then Houston would be crowned AFC South champs. Should both teams stumble, Jacksonville would stay on top.

Finally, the AFC North title and the conference's No. 4 seed are as straightforward as it gets. The Steelers host the Ravens on Sunday with the victor literally collecting those spoils and the loser getting sent to the offseason.

NFC Scenarios

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A two-game slate on Saturday will settle a lot in the NFC.

Things start with the Panthers visiting the Buccaneers with the NFC South title and the conference's No. 4 seed on the line. Well, sort of. If Carolina wins, it'll claim both. If Tampa Bay triumphs, though, things get a little complicated. Because a Buccaneers' win combined with a Falcons' win over the Saints on Sunday would give the Panthers the crown.

For Tampa Bay to take the division, it needs both a win and an Atlanta loss.

On Saturday night, the Seahawks will travel down the Pacific coast to clash with the 49ers in a contest that will dole out both the NFC West crown and the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. The loser will land in a wild card spot—the fifth spot for Seattle or the fifth or sixth spot for San Francisco (depending on how the outcome of Rams-Cardinals).

Come Sunday, the conference will get busy filling out the other seed lines. The Bears would get the No. 2 seed with a home win over the Lions, but a Chicago loss coupled with a Philadelphia home win over Washington would slot the Eagles second and the Bears third.

While the Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed, the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds are unsettled. The Seahawks will be the fifth seed if they lose to the 49ers. The Rams, meanwhile, need both a win over Arizona and a San Francisco loss to climb up to No. 5.