The NFL playoff picture is rapidly coming into focus as the final two weeks of the 2025 NFL season wrap up.
Entering play Dec. 28, a total of 12 playoff berths have been clinched. It’s possible all 14 could be spoken for by the end of Week 17, though it’s also possible the AFC North and NFC South could come down to win-or-go-home games in the season’s final week.
How does the 2025 NFL playoff bracket look with less than two weeks remaining in the season? Here’s a look at the NFL playoff picture for Week 17.
Who is in the NFL playoffs so far?
A total of 12 teams have officially clinched playoff berths for 2025. They are:
AFC
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots
Jacksonville Jaguars
Buffalo Bills
Los Angeles Chargers
Houston Texans
NFC
Seattle Seahawks
Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers
A total of 10 teams had clinched passage to the postseason entering Week 17. The latest additions to the group are the Packers and Texans.
Green Bay made it into the postseason by virtue of the Detroit Lions’ Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile, Houston beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday to clinch a playoff berth despite starting 2025 NFL season with an 0-3 record.
NFL division winners 2025
While 12 playoff berths have been clinched, just three teams have won their divisions. Below is a full look at the list:
AFC
AFC East: TBD
AFC North: TBD
AFC South: TBD
AFC West: Denver Broncos
NFC
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC North: Chicago Bears
NFC South: TBD
NFC West: TBD
The Broncos earned their first division title since 2015 in Week 17. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs – who won nine consecutive AFC West titles – on Christmas Day and then saw the Chargers lose to the Texans on Saturday, guaranteeing Denver would take home the division title.
The Packers’ Dec. 27 loss to the Ravens secured the rival Bears’ hold of the NFC North.
NFL playoff bracket update
AFC playoff bracket
1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners): BYE
The Broncos clinched the AFC West in Week 17 by virtue of their Christmas Day win over the Chiefs and the Chargers’ loss to the Texans on Saturday. Denver now just needs to earn a win in Week 18 to clinch the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed, a first-round bye and an assurance that the AFC playoffs will go through Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
2. New England Patriots (12-3, AFC East leaders) vs. 7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 3)
The Patriots have officially clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. Their next goal will be to challenge the Broncos for the AFC’s No. 1 seed before New England tries to win its first playoff game since the Tom Brady era. The Chargers have dropped from the AFC’s top wild-card team to the seventh seed after their loss to the Texans, and their banged-up offensive line could be an issue Mike Vrabel’s defense could exploit.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4, AFC South leaders) vs. 6. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 2)
The Jaguars and Texans are set to battle for the AFC South title over the final weeks of the season. They are also currently on track to play one another in the wild-card round. The teams split their two-game season series, with each squad beating the other by a touchdown; a postseason meeting would feature a fun, strength-on-strength matchup between a red-hot Jaguars offense and a Texans defense that ranks No. 1 overall league-wide in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6, AFC North leaders) vs. 5. Buffalo Bills (11-4, wild card No. 1)
The Steelers need only to win Dec. 28 to clinch the AFC North, which would likely earn them the No. 4 seed in the conference. Meanwhile, the Bills moved ahead of the Chargers in the race for the No. 1 wild-card spot but will be hoping they can somehow catch the Patriots in the tight AFC East race. If the Bills can’t achieve the latter goal, they may relish a matchup against the Steelers, who they beat 26-7 in Week 13.
NFC playoff bracket
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3, NFC West leaders): BYE
The Seahawks hold an advantage in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed entering Week 17 after beating the Rams on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Seattle’s defense ranks second in the NFL in defensive EPA per play while Sam Darnold has enjoyed a strong, efficient first season with the Seahawks. Their well-balanced team will be hard to knock off in the postseason, provided Darnold can avoid sacks and turnovers whenever Seattle plays its first game.
2. Chicago Bears (11-4, NFC North leaders) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)
The Bears and Packers met twice in the regular season and split their two-game series. Both games came down to the final minutes, with Caleb Williams throwing a game-ending interception in one but hitting DJ Moore for a game-winning touchdown in overtime the next time they played. A postseason matchup between the two would likely be close, though Micah Parsons’ season-ending ACL tear could put a damper on the Packers’ chances of advancing.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, NFC North winners) vs. 6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4, wild card No. 2)
The Eagles won’t have an easy path to defend their Super Bowl title. They are currently tracking to play the Rams, who nearly beat them en route to their Super Bowl 59 victory last season. Los Angeles is engaged in a tight battle for the NFC West and could end up seeded anywhere from No. 1 overall to No. 7 in the NFC playoff picture. It would be interesting to see if they would be favored over the Eagles, even on the road, thanks to the strong performance of Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua.
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7, NFC South leaders) vs. 5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4, wild card No. 1)
This game would be a rematch of a Week 12 ‘Monday Night Football’ battle against these two teams. The 49ers earned a 20-9 victory in a defensive battle and would look to use a similar formula to stymie Bryce Young, who threw two interceptions in the contest. The Panthers have played well in recent weeks and just earned a critical head-to-head win over the Buccaneers to take control of the NFC South. Carolina may need to win in Week 18 to clinch a playoff berth, however, so Dave Canales’ squad still has work to do to close the season.
NFL playoff picture
AFC
Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
New England Patriots (12-3, AFC East leaders)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4, AFC South leaders)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6, AFC North leaders)
Buffalo Bills (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
NFC
Seattle Seahawks (12-3, NFC West leaders)*
Chicago Bears (11-4, NFC North winners)*
Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, NFC East winners)*
Carolina Panthers (8-7, NFC South leaders)
San Francisco 49ers (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Rams (11-4, wild card No. 2)*
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
* Denotes team that has clinched a playoff berth.
