Who is in the NFL playoffs? Clinched spots, division winners, bracket Week 18

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It all comes down to this. Week 18 is here, and the 2025 NFL playoff picture will soon be firmed up as teams look to take aim at a Super Bowl 60 run.

While 12 of 14 possible playoff spots have already been clinched entering Week 18, plenty is left to be determined.

The only team locked into a specific postseason seed on either side of the bracket is the Green Bay Packers, who are set for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff race. All other teams will be playing for seeding scenarios in the season's final week.

How does the 2025 NFL playoff bracket look as the final week of the season unfolds? Here's a look at the NFL's playoff picture for Week 18.

Who is in the NFL playoffs so far?

Twelve teams have already clinched playoff berths entering Week 18. Below is a look at the full list of teams to clinch:

AFC

New England Patriots (13-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)

NFC

San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)

The lone playoff berths yet to be decided are the AFC North and NFC South championships. The latter will be decided by the results of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints games.

Meanwhile, the AFC North title will be determined by the head-to-head battle between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on "Sunday Night Football" to close the season.

NFL division winners 2025

Just four NFL teams have won their divisions entering the final week of the 2025 regular season. Below is a full look at the list:

AFC

AFC East: New England Patriots (13-3)
AFC North: TBD
AFC South: TBD
AFC West: Denver Broncos (13-3)

NFC

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
NFC North: Chicago Bears (11-5)
NFC South: TBD
NFC West: TBD

Naturally, the remaining four division-winners will be determined in Week 18. The NFC South and NFC West champions could be determined as soon as Jan. 3 while the AFC South champion – the Jacksonville Jaguars or Houston Texans – will be determined before the Sunday afternoon window closes.

Finally, the AFC North champion will be determined by a winner-take-all battle on "Sunday Night Football" to close the 2025 NFL regular season.

Who are the No. 1 seeds in the NFL playoff picture?

The No. 1 seeds will be decided in Week 18. Below is a look at the teams currently in control of the first-round bye in each conference:

AFC: Denver Broncos (13-3)
NFC: Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

The NFC's No. 1 seed will be decided by the Seahawks vs. 49ers game on Saturday, Jan. 3. The winner will win the NFC West and get the first-round bye. Seattle will get the No. 1 seed if there is a tie between the two divisional rivals.

Meanwhile, the AFC's No. 1 seed will be decided on Sunday, Jan. 4. The Broncos can clinch the top seed with a win over the Chargers. If they lose against the Chargers, that would open the door for either the Patriots or Jaguars to overtake them in the race for the AFC's top spot.

NFL playoff bracket update: Wild card matchups

AFC playoff bracket

1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners): BYE

The Broncos beat the Chiefs on Christmas Day in Week 17 and clinched the AFC West after the Chargers lost to the Texans a couple of days later. 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 (13-3, AFC East winners) vs. 7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)

The Patriots have locked up the AFC East for the first time since Tom Brady's last season with the team in 2019. They will be hoping to earn the AFC's No. 1 seed, but either way, they are guaranteed a top-three seed in the conference. Currently, New England is set to play Buffalo, which dropped to the No. 7 seed following its one-point loss to the Eagles in Week 17. The Patriots and Bills split their season series 1-1 with both games being decided by one score.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders) vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)

The Jaguars are looking to extend their winning streak to eight games in Week 18. If they can do that, they would win the AFC South for the first time since 2022, guaranteeing them a top-three seed in the AFC. Jacksonville is currently slated to play Los Angeles, but the Chargers are set to rest their starters in Week 18. A loss could cause Los Angeles, which is locked into a wild-card spot, to slip down to No. 7 in the conference.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders) vs. 5. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)

The Steelers are clinging to a lead in the AFC North but will need to win or tie in their head-to-head matchup with the Ravens in Week 18 to clinch the division. Meanwhile, the Texans won their eighth consecutive game to move into the No. 5 seed after battling back from a 0-3 start to the season. Houston's defense ranks No. 1 overall league-wide in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, so they will make a tough matchup for whichever team draws them in the wild-card round.

NFC playoff bracket

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders): BYE

The Seahawks face the 49ers in a head-to-head matchup that will determine the NFC West champion and the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 postseason. Seattle will look to rely on its elite-level defense to carry it in that game and the postseason as well.

2. Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners) 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 (11-5, NFC East winners) vs. 6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)

The Eagles will have either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race. The No. 2 seed would guarantee them a date with the Packers while the No. 3 seed would get them a date with one of three NFC West teams. The Rams are currently slated to play the Eagles in a rematch of a Week 3 game. Philadelphia won that tightly contested game 33-26 after Jordan Davis blocked a game-winning field goal attempt by Joshua Karty and returned it for a touchdown as time expired.

4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders) vs. 5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, 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 recently earned a critical head-to-head win over the Buccaneers to take control of the NFC South. They will look to clinch the division by winning (or tying) against Tampa Bay on Jan. 3, but Carolina can still get in with a loss and help from the Atlanta Falcons.