NFL Playoff Bracket
A projected 2026 NFL playoff bracket built from the league's current conference seeding. Nothing here is official until the regular season ends, and later rounds remain open because the NFL reseeds after the Wild Card round.
Regular season · Week 7Updated Sunday, Oct 25, 2026 · 9:05 PM ET
Projection method: The league's own current conference seeding establishes the field, which can still change before the regular season ends. Later-round slots remain conditional because the NFL sends the lowest remaining seed to the No. 1 seed after the Wild Card round.
2026 NFL postseasonFollow every Wild Card, Divisional, Conference Championship and Super Bowl matchup in one view.
Projected NFL playoff bracket
2026Wild CardJan 16–18
DivisionalJan 23–24
AFTER WILD CARDTBDTBDRemaining winners
AFC ChampionshipJan 31
JAN 31TBDTBDDivisional winners
Super BowlFeb 14
FEB 14 · INGLEWOODAFCNFCConference champions
NFC ChampionshipJan 31
JAN 31TBDTBDDivisional winners
DivisionalJan 23–24
AFTER WILD CARDTBDTBDRemaining winners
Wild CardJan 16–18
AFC
NFC
Reseeding matters: the NFL does not use a fixed path after the Wild Card round. The No. 1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed in its conference.
Every matchup
Bracket game list
13 postseason games| Conference | Round | Matchup | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | Wild Card | No. 2 Buffalo Bills vs No. 7 Cincinnati Bengals | PROJECTED |
| AFC | Wild Card | No. 3 Cleveland Browns vs No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers | PROJECTED |
| AFC | Wild Card | No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars vs No. 5 Denver Broncos | PROJECTED |
| NFC | Wild Card | No. 2 San Francisco 49ers vs No. 7 Atlanta Falcons | PROJECTED |
| NFC | Wild Card | No. 3 New York Giants vs No. 6 Chicago Bears | PROJECTED |
| NFC | Wild Card | No. 4 Carolina Panthers vs No. 5 Detroit Lions | PROJECTED |
| AFC | Divisional | No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs lowest remaining seed | AFTER WILD CARD |
| AFC | Divisional | TBD vs TBD | AFTER WILD CARD |
| NFC | Divisional | No. 1 Minnesota Vikings vs lowest remaining seed | AFTER WILD CARD |
| NFC | Divisional | TBD vs TBD | AFTER WILD CARD |
| AFC | Conference Championship | TBD vs TBD | JAN 31 |
| NFC | Conference Championship | TBD vs TBD | JAN 31 |
| NFL | Super Bowl | AFC champion vs NFC champion | FEB 14 · INGLEWOOD |
Kalshi market viewSee the latest prices. Expand a row to open the exact Kalshi markets behind each forecast.
Conference and championship odds
| Team | Conference | Championship | Conference 7d | Sources | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | Win AFC22% | Win championship11% | +4pp | Trade | |
| Buffalo Bills | Win AFC22% | Win championship12% | −4pp | Trade | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Win AFC12% | Win championship7% | +4pp | Trade | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Win AFC9% | Win championship5% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Denver Broncos | Win AFC8% | Win championship5% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Cleveland Browns | Win AFC3% | Win championship<1% | 0pp | Trade | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Win AFC3% | Win championship2% | 0pp | Trade | |
| San Francisco 49ers | Win NFC26% | Win championship16% | 0pp | Trade | |
| Chicago Bears | Win NFC13% | Win championship6% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Minnesota Vikings | Win NFC12% | Win championship4% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Detroit Lions | Win NFC9% | Win championship4% | +2pp | Trade | |
| New York Giants | Win NFC3% | Win championship<1% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Atlanta Falcons | Win NFC3% | Win championship2% | +2pp | Trade | |
| Carolina Panthers | Win NFC2% | Win championship<1% | −1pp | Trade | |
How it works
How to read the NFL playoff bracket
Fourteen teams qualify for the NFL playoffs. Each conference sends four division winners and three wild-card teams. The No. 1 seeds receive byes, while seeds two through seven play in the Wild Card round.The seeds on this bracket are the league's current conference seeding, which is not the playoff field until the regular season ends. The three opening matchups in each conference are therefore projections, and later rounds stay open.After the Wild Card round, each conference reseeds: the No. 1 team plays the lowest remaining seed. The other two winners meet in the second Divisional game. Conference champions advance to the Super Bowl.The prices beside the bracket come from Kalshi's conference-winner and championship markets. They are shown next to the bracket rather than used to build it — a price is a forecast about a season, and a bracket is a statement about who plays whom.
Playoff matchupsThe opening round, as the seeds above imply it.
Projected Wild Card matchups
FAQ
NFL playoff bracket questions
How does the NFL playoff bracket work?
Seven teams from each conference qualify. The No. 1 seed receives a Wild Card bye, while seeds two through seven play three opening-round games. The AFC and NFC champions then meet in the Super Bowl.
Does the NFL use a fixed playoff bracket?
No. The NFL reseeds after the Wild Card round. The lowest remaining seed in each conference plays the No. 1 seed, so a projected Wild Card matchup does not establish a permanent path through later rounds.
What does the preseason bracket show?
Before official playoff seeds exist, the bracket uses the market-implied field from Kalshi's Playoff Picture page. Every opening matchup is labeled projected, and later rounds remain open until the Wild Card results are known.
When is the NFL playoff bracket finalized?
The opening bracket becomes official when the regular season and tiebreak procedures are complete. Divisional matchups are not finalized until all Wild Card games in the relevant conference have ended, because the league reseeds.
Where do the probabilities come from?
The prices on this page come from Kalshi conference-winner and championship markets. Round-by-round probabilities appear only when a corresponding Kalshi market is available.
How often is the NFL playoff bracket updated?
The bracket updates after each playoff game and whenever the NFL announces a schedule change. The latest update time appears at the top of the page — currently Sunday, Oct 25, 2026 · 9:05 PM ET.