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 7.

AFC: the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) hold the No. 1 seed; the Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) hold the last wild-card spot with 9 teams within reach. NFC: the Minnesota Vikings (6-0) hold the No. 1 seed; the Green Bay Packers (4-3) hold the last wild-card spot with 9 teams within reach.

TableCards

Updated Oct 26 · 8:06 AM EDT

AFC Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

1Kansas City ChiefsAFC West · Conf 5-0 · L1Division winner · Bye5-1+402Buffalo BillsAFC East · Conf 3-1 · W2Division winner5-1+263Cleveland BrownsAFC North · Conf 3-2 · W2Division winner5-2-134Jacksonville JaguarsAFC South · Conf 3-2 · L1Division winner4-2+505Denver BroncosAFC West · Conf 2-1 · W3Wild card5-2+36Pittsburgh SteelersAFC North · Conf 2-2 · W3Wild card5-2+157Cincinnati BengalsAFC North · Conf 3-2 · W2Wild card4-2+41–New England PatriotsAFC East · Conf 4-1 · L10.5 games back4-3+17–Baltimore RavensAFC North · Conf 2-2 · L20.5 games back4-3+2–Las Vegas RaidersAFC West · Conf 2-3 · L41.5 games back3-4-14–New York JetsAFC East · Conf 2-2 · L22.5 games back2-5-13–Indianapolis ColtsAFC South · Conf 1-4 · L32.5 games back2-5-26–Houston TexansAFC South · Conf 2-3 · L12.5 games back2-5-5–Miami DolphinsAFC East · Conf 1-3 · W13 games back1-5-59–Tennessee TitansAFC South · Conf 1-4 · L13.5 games back1-6-48–Los Angeles ChargersAFC West · Conf 0-4 · L64 games back0-6-61

Seed	Team	W-L	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Kansas City ChiefsAFC West	5-1	3-0	5-0	+40	L1	11	Division winner Bye
2	Buffalo BillsAFC East	5-1	0-1	3-1	+26	W2	11	Division winner
3	Cleveland BrownsAFC North	5-2	2-0	3-2	-13	W2	10	Division winner
4	Jacksonville JaguarsAFC South	4-2	0-1	3-2	+50	L1	11	Division winner
5	Denver BroncosAFC West	5-2	1-1	2-1	+3	W3	10	Wild card
6	Pittsburgh SteelersAFC North	5-2	1-1	2-2	+15	W3	10	Wild card
7	Cincinnati BengalsAFC North	4-2	1-1	3-2	+41	W2	11	Wild card
	New England PatriotsAFC East	4-3	2-0	4-1	+17	L1	10	In the hunt · 0.5 games back
	Baltimore RavensAFC North	4-3	0-2	2-2	+2	L2	10	In the hunt · 0.5 games back
	Las Vegas RaidersAFC West	3-4	1-1	2-3	-14	L4	10	In the hunt · 1.5 games back
	New York JetsAFC East	2-5	0-2	2-2	-13	L2	10	In the hunt · 2.5 games back
	Indianapolis ColtsAFC South	2-5	1-1	1-4	-26	L3	10	In the hunt · 2.5 games back
	Houston TexansAFC South	2-5	2-1	2-3	-5	L1	10	In the hunt · 2.5 games back
	Miami DolphinsAFC East	1-5	1-0	1-3	-59	W1	11	In the hunt · 3 games back
	Tennessee TitansAFC South	1-6	1-1	1-4	-48	L1	10	In the hunt · 3.5 games back
	Los Angeles ChargersAFC West	0-6	0-3	0-4	-61	L6	11	In the hunt · 4 games back

AFC clinch watch

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

Magic number10Chiefs 5-1

Magic number10Bills 5-1

Magic number10Browns 5-2

Magic number11Jaguars 4-2

Magic number10Broncos 5-2

Magic number10Steelers 5-2

AFC bubble

Patriots4-3 · 0.5 games back · 10 leftRavens4-3 · 0.5 games back · 10 leftRaiders3-4 · 1.5 games back · 10 leftJets2-5 · 2.5 games back · 10 leftColts2-5 · 2.5 games back · 10 leftTexans2-5 · 2.5 games back · 10 leftDolphins1-5 · 3 games back · 11 leftTitans1-6 · 3.5 games back · 10 left

NFC Playoff Picture

If the season ended today · last spot: Green Bay Packers (4-3)

1Minnesota VikingsNFC North · Conf 4-0 · W6Division winner · Bye6-0+512San Francisco 49ersNFC West · Conf 4-1 · L1Division winner6-1+583New York GiantsNFC East · Conf 2-2 · W1Division winner4-2-1+24Carolina PanthersNFC South · Conf 3-2 · L1Division winner3-3-75Chicago BearsNFC North · Conf 3-2 · W2Wild card5-2+376Detroit LionsNFC North · Conf 3-1 · W2Wild card4-2+197Green Bay PackersNFC North · Conf 3-3 · L1Wild card4-3-1–Seattle SeahawksNFC West · Conf 1-2 · W1Tied for last spot4-3+43–Atlanta FalconsNFC South · Conf 3-2 · W11 game back3-4-2–Los Angeles RamsNFC West · Conf 2-2 · W11 game back3-4+11–Dallas CowboysNFC East · Conf 1-3 · L21.5 games back2-4-8–Philadelphia EaglesNFC East · Conf 1-3 · L41.5 games back2-4-31–Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South · Conf 2-2 · W12 games back2-5+11–New Orleans SaintsNFC South · Conf 1-3 · L12 games back2-5-32–Arizona CardinalsNFC West · Conf 1-4 · L12 games back2-5-66–Washington CommandersNFC East · Conf 1-3 · L12 games back1-4-1-40

Seed	Team	W-L	Div	Conf	Diff	Strk	Left	Status
1	Minnesota VikingsNFC North	6-0	2-0	4-0	+51	W6	11	Division winner Bye
2	San Francisco 49ersNFC West	6-1	3-0	4-1	+58	L1	10	Division winner
3	New York GiantsNFC East	4-2-1	1-0-1	2-2-1	+2	W1	10	Division winner
4	Carolina PanthersNFC South	3-3	1-1	3-2	-7	L1	11	Division winner
5	Chicago BearsNFC North	5-2	0-2	3-2	+37	W2	10	Wild card
6	Detroit LionsNFC North	4-2	1-0	3-1	+19	W2	11	Wild card
7	Green Bay PackersNFC North	4-3	1-2	3-3	-1	L1	10	Wild card
	Seattle SeahawksNFC West	4-3	1-1	1-2	+43	W1	10	In the hunt · tied for last spot
	Atlanta FalconsNFC South	3-4	1-1	3-2	-2	W1	10	In the hunt · 1 game back
	Los Angeles RamsNFC West	3-4	0-2	2-2	+11	W1	10	In the hunt · 1 game back
	Dallas CowboysNFC East	2-4	1-1	1-3	-8	L2	11	In the hunt · 1.5 games back
	Philadelphia EaglesNFC East	2-4	1-0	1-3	-31	L4	11	In the hunt · 1.5 games back
	Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South	2-5	1-0	2-2	+11	W1	10	In the hunt · 2 games back
	New Orleans SaintsNFC South	2-5	0-1	1-3	-32	L1	10	In the hunt · 2 games back
	Arizona CardinalsNFC West	2-5	1-2	1-4	-66	L1	10	In the hunt · 2 games back
	Washington CommandersNFC East	1-4-1	0-2-1	1-3-1	-40	L1	11	In the hunt · 2 games back

NFC clinch watch

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

Magic number9Vikings 6-0

Magic number949ers 6-1

Magic number11Giants 4-2-1

Magic number12Panthers 3-3

Magic number10Bears 5-2

Magic number11Lions 4-2

NFC bubble

Seahawks4-3 · tied for last spot · 10 leftFalcons3-4 · 1 game back · 10 leftRams3-4 · 1 game back · 10 leftCowboys2-4 · 1.5 games back · 11 leftEagles2-4 · 1.5 games back · 11 leftBuccaneers2-5 · 2 games back · 10 leftSaints2-5 · 2 games back · 10 leftCardinals2-5 · 2 games back · 10 left

Division Races

AFC EastBills 5-1vsPatriots 4-31.5 games lead

AFC NorthBrowns 5-2vsSteelers 5-2Tiebreaker lead

AFC SouthJaguars 4-2vsColts 2-52.5 games lead

AFC WestChiefs 5-1vsBroncos 5-20.5 games lead

NFC EastGiants 4-2-1vsCowboys 2-42 games lead

NFC NorthVikings 6-0vsBears 5-21.5 games lead

NFC SouthPanthers 3-3vsFalcons 3-40.5 games lead

NFC West49ers 6-1vsSeahawks 4-32 games 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.