NFL Playoff Picture 2026

NFL playoff picture 2026: if the season ended today, these are the seven seeds in each conference, the teams in the hunt and the teams already out, with magic numbers for the teams closest to clinching and every division race. Clinch and elimination flags are calculated from the games remaining. Standings are through Week 4.

AFC: the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) hold the No. 1 seed; the New England Patriots (2-2) hold the last wild-card spot with 9 teams within reach. NFC: the San Francisco 49ers (4-0) hold the No. 1 seed; the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) hold the last wild-card spot with 9 teams within reach.

TableCards

Updated Oct 6 · 10:36 AM EDT

AFC Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: New England Patriots (2-2)

1Kansas City ChiefsAFC West · Conf 4-0 · W4Division winner · Bye4-0+412Baltimore RavensAFC North · Conf 2-0 · W2Division winner3-1+203Jacksonville JaguarsAFC South · Conf 3-1 · W2Division winner3-1+514Buffalo BillsAFC East · Conf 2-1 · L1Division winner3-1+205Las Vegas RaidersAFC West · Conf 2-1 · L1Wild card3-1+316Cleveland BrownsAFC North · Conf 1-1 · W3Wild card3-1-147New England PatriotsAFC East · Conf 2-1 · W1Wild card2-2-12–Denver BroncosAFC West · Conf 1-1 · L1Tied for last spot2-2-20–Pittsburgh SteelersAFC North · Conf 1-2 · L1Tied for last spot2-2-10–Cincinnati BengalsAFC North · Conf 1-2 · L2Tied for last spot2-2+12–Indianapolis ColtsAFC South · Conf 1-2 · W2Tied for last spot2-2-2–New York JetsAFC East · Conf 1-0 · L31 game back1-3-8–Houston TexansAFC South · Conf 0-3 · L42 games back0-4-25–Tennessee TitansAFC South · Conf 0-2 · L42 games back0-4-28–Los Angeles ChargersAFC West · Conf 0-2 · L42 games back0-4-39–Miami DolphinsAFC East · Conf 0-2 · L42 games back0-4-55

Seed	Team	W-L	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Kansas City ChiefsAFC West	4-0	2-0	4-0	+41	W4	13	Division winner Bye
2	Baltimore RavensAFC North	3-1	0-0	2-0	+20	W2	13	Division winner
3	Jacksonville JaguarsAFC South	3-1	0-0	3-1	+51	W2	13	Division winner
4	Buffalo BillsAFC East	3-1	0-1	2-1	+20	L1	13	Division winner
5	Las Vegas RaidersAFC West	3-1	1-1	2-1	+31	L1	13	Wild card
6	Cleveland BrownsAFC North	3-1	1-0	1-1	-14	W3	13	Wild card
7	New England PatriotsAFC East	2-2	1-0	2-1	-12	W1	13	Wild card
	Denver BroncosAFC West	2-2	0-1	1-1	-20	L1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Pittsburgh SteelersAFC North	2-2	1-1	1-2	-10	L1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Cincinnati BengalsAFC North	2-2	0-1	1-2	+12	L2	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Indianapolis ColtsAFC South	2-2	1-0	1-2	-2	W2	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	New York JetsAFC East	1-3	0-0	1-0	-8	L3	13	In the hunt · 1 game back
	Houston TexansAFC South	0-4	0-1	0-3	-25	L4	13	In the hunt · 2 games back
	Tennessee TitansAFC South	0-4	0-0	0-2	-28	L4	13	In the hunt · 2 games back
	Los Angeles ChargersAFC West	0-4	0-1	0-2	-39	L4	13	In the hunt · 2 games back
	Miami DolphinsAFC East	0-4	0-0	0-2	-55	L4	13	In the hunt · 2 games back

AFC clinch watch

Any combination of that many wins and losses by the first team out (Denver Broncos) clinches a playoff berth.

Magic number12Chiefs 4-0

Magic number13Ravens 3-1

Magic number13Jaguars 3-1

Magic number13Bills 3-1

Magic number13Raiders 3-1

Magic number13Browns 3-1

AFC bubble

Broncos2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftSteelers2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftBengals2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftColts2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftJets1-3 · 1 game back · 13 leftTexans0-4 · 2 games back · 13 leftTitans0-4 · 2 games back · 13 leftChargers0-4 · 2 games back · 13 left

NFC Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

1San Francisco 49ersNFC West · Conf 2-0 · W4Division winner · Bye4-0+582Minnesota VikingsNFC North · Conf 3-0 · W4Division winner4-0+353New York GiantsNFC East · Conf 2-1 · W2Division winner3-1+34Carolina PanthersNFC South · Conf 2-1 · W1Division winner2-2+125Chicago BearsNFC North · Conf 2-1 · W2Wild card3-1+476Seattle SeahawksNFC West · Conf 1-1 · W1Wild card3-1+327Atlanta FalconsNFC South · Conf 2-1 · W2Wild card2-2+4–Los Angeles RamsNFC West · Conf 2-1 · W1Tied for last spot2-2+2–Dallas CowboysNFC East · Conf 1-1 · W1Tied for last spot2-2+10–Detroit LionsNFC North · Conf 1-1 · L1Tied for last spot2-2-8–Philadelphia EaglesNFC East · Conf 1-2 · L2Tied for last spot2-2-18–Green Bay PackersNFC North · Conf 1-2 · W1Tied for last spot2-2-32–Washington CommandersNFC East · Conf 1-2 · L11 game back1-3-34–New Orleans SaintsNFC South · Conf 0-2 · L21 game back1-3-23–Arizona CardinalsNFC West · Conf 0-3 · L31 game back1-3-30–Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South · Conf 0-2 · L42 games back0-4-20

Seed	Team	W-L	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	San Francisco 49ersNFC West	4-0	2-0	2-0	+58	W4	13	Division winner Bye
2	Minnesota VikingsNFC North	4-0	2-0	3-0	+35	W4	13	Division winner
3	New York GiantsNFC East	3-1	1-0	2-1	+3	W2	13	Division winner
4	Carolina PanthersNFC South	2-2	1-0	2-1	+12	W1	13	Division winner
5	Chicago BearsNFC North	3-1	0-1	2-1	+47	W2	13	Wild card
6	Seattle SeahawksNFC West	3-1	1-0	1-1	+32	W1	13	Wild card
7	Atlanta FalconsNFC South	2-2	1-1	2-1	+4	W2	13	Wild card
	Los Angeles RamsNFC West	2-2	0-1	2-1	+2	W1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Dallas CowboysNFC East	2-2	1-1	1-1	+10	W1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Detroit LionsNFC North	2-2	0-0	1-1	-8	L1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Philadelphia EaglesNFC East	2-2	1-0	1-2	-18	L2	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Green Bay PackersNFC North	2-2	0-1	1-2	-32	W1	13	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Washington CommandersNFC East	1-3	0-2	1-2	-34	L1	13	In the hunt · 1 game back
	New Orleans SaintsNFC South	1-3	0-1	0-2	-23	L2	13	In the hunt · 1 game back
	Arizona CardinalsNFC West	1-3	0-2	0-3	-30	L3	13	In the hunt · 1 game back
	Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South	0-4	0-0	0-2	-20	L4	13	In the hunt · 2 games back

NFC clinch watch

Any combination of that many wins and losses by the first team out (Los Angeles Rams) clinches a playoff berth.

Magic number1249ers 4-0

Magic number12Vikings 4-0

Magic number13Giants 3-1

Magic number14Panthers 2-2

Magic number13Bears 3-1

Magic number13Seahawks 3-1

NFC bubble

Rams2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftCowboys2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftLions2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftEagles2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftPackers2-2 · tied for last spot · 13 leftCommanders1-3 · 1 game back · 13 leftSaints1-3 · 1 game back · 13 leftCardinals1-3 · 1 game back · 13 left

Division Races

AFC EastBills 3-1vsPatriots 2-21 game lead

AFC NorthRavens 3-1vsBrowns 3-1Tiebreaker lead

AFC SouthJaguars 3-1vsColts 2-21 game lead

AFC WestChiefs 4-0vsRaiders 3-11 game lead

NFC EastGiants 3-1vsCowboys 2-21 game lead

NFC NorthVikings 4-0vsBears 3-11 game lead

NFC SouthPanthers 2-2vsFalcons 2-2Tiebreaker lead

NFC West49ers 4-0vsSeahawks 3-11 game lead

Seeds 1-4 division winners · 5-7 wild cards · No. 1 seed has a bye · Clinch/eliminated flags use games remaining, not the full tiebreaker list.

How the NFL Playoff Picture Is Calculated

Four division winners take seeds 1-4 by record, the three best remaining records are wild cards. A team is marked clinched when no result can drop it out of the top 7, and eliminated when it can no longer catch the last spot. Magic numbers count the wins and rival losses still needed. Tiebreakers follow the league order.

The NFL playoff picture is recalculated after every game from the full standings, so seeds, magic numbers and games back are always current. Check the tiebreaker rules for how close races are settled, and the projected bracket to see what today’s seeds would produce.