The 2025 NFL regular season has but one week left. There are 32 teams in the league, but only 14 will make the postseason.
Heading into the final week of the season, 12 of the playoff spots have been clinched. There are two still up for grabs, with both being for a division spot and the No. 4 seed in the bracket.
Even though 12 teams are already locked into the postseason, there is still plenty of movement that can occur where only one seed has been locked in.
Here is an updated look at how many teams make the NFL playoffs and the projected 2026 postseason bracket.
MORE WEEK 18 NFL:
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
Fourteen teams of the 32 in the NFL will make the playoffs. Each conference will see seven teams enter the postseason, with the top four seeds in each bracket going to division winners. The No. 1 seed in each conference will earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl and a first-round bye. The other division winners will host a wild-card game in the first round.
AFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Broncos | 13-3 |
| 2 | Patriots | 13-3 |
| 3 | Jaguars | 12-4 |
| 4 | Steelers | 9-7 |
| 5 | Texans | 11-5 |
| 6 | Chargers | 11-5 |
| 7 | Bills | 11-5 |
In the hunt: Ravens (8-8)
While six of the seven playoff spots in the AFC have been clinched, none of those teams are locked into a specific seed. The Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots have clinched their divisions and will be top-three seeds in the playoffs. Both, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, have a shot at the No. 1 seed in Week 18.
The last playoff spot in the AFC comes down to the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They play in Week 18, and the winner will earn the AFC North division title and the No. 4 seed in the AFC.
The Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills are locked into wild-card spots but will hope to move up in the seeding.
How Broncos can clinch No. 1 seed
Denver has the easiest path to clinching the No. 1 seed. The Broncos need a win in Week 18 over the Los Angeles Chargers. Outside of that, Denver can clinch the top spot with a New England loss or a Patriots and Jaguars loss.
How Patriots can clinch No. 1 seed
New England has a shot at the No. 1 seed, but they don’t control their own destiny for it. The Patriots need a win and a Broncos loss or a tie.
How Jaguars can clinch No. 1 seed
Jacksonville can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and a Broncos and Patriots loss. Otherwise, their focus will be on clinching the AFC South to secure at least a top-three seed in the bracket.
NFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Seahawks | 14-3 |
| 2 | Bears | 11-5 |
| 3 | Eagles | 11-5 |
| 4 | Panthers | 8-9 |
| 5 | 49ers | 12-5 |
| 6 | Rams | 11-5 |
| 7 | Packers | 9-6 |
In the hunt: Buccaneers (8-9)
The only seed that was locked in entering Week 18 is the Green Bay Packers with the No. 7 seed. Other than that, there is plenty of movement that can happen within the conference.
The Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both still have a shot at the NFC South. Tampa Bay kept its postseason hopes alive by besting Carolina on Saturday, 16-14. Despite the Buccaneers’ win, they’ll have to wait a little while longer to figure out if they’ll make it to the postseason; if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday afternoon, it will be the Panthers — not Tampa — that will make it to the postseason.
How Seahawks clinched No. 1 seed
The Seahawks had an easy case for earning the No. 1 seed, and they executed their plan perfectly by defeating the 49ers in their Week 18 matchup on Saturday night. Seattle’s victory gave them a final record of 14-3, automatically crowning them the NFC West Division champions and securing the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed, along with a coveted first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The 49ers, with a 12-5 record following the loss, now fall to the No. 5 seed and will be forced to play on the road as a Wild Card team during the opening weekend of the postseason.
The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC runs through Lumen Field.
