NFL Playoff matchups set: Who’s playing who in the Wild Card Round

The NFL playoff field is fully set, with every seed locked in following the Steelers’ victory over the Ravens late on Sunday, which saw them clinch the AFC North and the AFC’s No. 4 seed.

Here’s a breakdown of the playoff matchups, how the Wild Card round works, and what’s still at stake.

How the NFL Playoffs work

Wild Card Round

• No. 1 seed: Bye
• No. 2 seed hosts No. 7 seed
• No. 3 seed hosts No. 6 seed
• No. 4 seed hosts No. 5 seed

Divisional Round

• No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed
• The other two remaining teams face each other based on seeding

AFC Playoff matchups

AFC No. 1 Seed - Denver Broncos (14–3)

First-round bye: Denver clinched the AFC’s top seed, earning a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Broncos will host the lowest remaining AFC seed in the Divisional Round.

No. 2 New England Patriots vs No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers

Wild Card matchup: New England will open the postseason at home against a Chargers team that finished strong despite resting starters in Week 18. It’s a classic contrast of styles: disciplined defense versus a high-variance offense.

No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars vs No. 6 Buffalo Bills

Wild Card matchup: This matchup is locked in and could be one of the most competitive games of the weekend. Buffalo enters as a dangerous road team, while Jacksonville looks to prove they can win under playoff pressure.

No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs No. 5 Houston Texans

Wild Card matchup: The Steelers defeated the Ravens in a tight game on Sunday night to clinch the final AFC playoff spot. Houston heads on the road to face a physical division champion, despite having a superior regular-season record to Pittsburgh.

NFC Playoff matchups (All Set)

NFC No. 1 Seed - Seattle Seahawks (14–3)

First-round bye: Seattle earned the NFC’s top seed and will host the lowest remaining NFC team in the Divisional Round.

No. 2 Chicago Bears vs No. 7 Green Bay Packers

Wild Card matchup: A historic rivalry renewed in the postseason. The Bears host a Packers team that snuck into the playoffs and has nothing to lose.

No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs No. 6 San Francisco 49ers

Wild Card matchup: This is one of the marquee matchups of the entire Wild Card weekend. San Francisco enters as a dangerous lower seed, while Philadelphia looks to defend home field.

No. 4 Carolina Panthers vs No. 5 Los Angeles Rams

Wild Card matchup: Despite a sub-.500 record, Carolina earned a home playoff game by winning the NFC South. The Rams, meanwhile, come in as one of the hottest teams in the conference.

What happens next?

Once the Wild Card round concludes:

• The Broncos and Seahawks will host the lowest remaining seeds in their respective conferences.
• Matchups will reseed based on who advances, setting up potential heavyweight clashes as early as the Divisional Round.

All eyes now turn to Sunday night, where Ravens vs Steelers will finalize the AFC bracket and officially lock in the NFL postseason.

2025-26 NFL playoffs schedule

Specific games for each date and time will be released later tonight.

*All times listed in Eastern

Wild-card round

Saturday, Jan. 10

• AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
• AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 11

• AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.
• AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
• AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 12

• AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 17

• AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
• AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18

• AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.
• AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round

Sunday, Jan. 25

• AFC championship game: 3 p.m.
• NFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl 60

Sunday, Feb. 8

• Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
• Time: 6:30 p.m.

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