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The Chicago Bears didn't need to sweat out a playoff berth or division title in Week 18. They did still need to figure out what their seed was and who they'd host in the wild-card round to begin the postseason.
The late afternoon slate on Jan. 4 locked in the answers to both remaining questions. Chicago will hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff bracket after their loss against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. The Bears will host the No. 7-seeded Packers in the first round of the postseason.
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When Chicago hosts its wild-card game at Soldier Field, it will be the first playoff game the Bears have hosted since Jan. 6, 2019: the infamous "Double Doink" game they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Who will the Bears play next?
The Bears are set to play the Packers in the wild-card round. The Bears earned the No. 2 seed despite losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, as the Philadelphia Eagles also lost to the Washington Commanders. Therefore, they will host the No. 7-seeded Packers.
Chicago was locked into either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed to begin Week 18 with its 11-5 record tied with the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears had no shot at the No. 1 seed with that spot coming down to the winner of Seahawks-49ers on Jan. 3.
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There was still some uncertainty in how the wild-card teams' seeding would shake out entering Week 18. The Bears had three possible opponents for their wild-card round game they'll host at Soldier Field, pending the results of the late afternoon games on Jan. 4.
NFC playoff bracket 2025
Below is a look at the NFC playoff bracket for 2025:
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 San Francisco 49ers
All seven of the seeds are now locked in after the late-afternoon Sunday slate.
NFL playoff schedule
The NFL playoffs will kick off on Jan. 10 with the league's first two wild-card matchups before concluding on Feb. 8 with Super Bowl 60 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
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Wild-card round
All times Eastern
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
Date: Feb. 8, 2026
Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: NBC
NFL playoff picture Wek 18
AFC
Denver Broncos (14-3, AFC West winners)*
New England Patriots (14-3, AFC East winners)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4, AFC South winners)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
NFC
Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)*
Chicago Bears (11-6, NFC North winners)*
Philadelphia Eagles (11-6, NFC East winners)*
Carolina Panthers (8-9, NFC South winners)*
Los Angeles Rams (12-5, wild card No. 1)*
San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 2)*
Green Bay Packers (9-7-1, wild card No. 3)*
An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who do Bears play next? Breaking down potential playoff opponents
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