Last updated: September 14, 2026 (through Week 1). Here is what the 2026 NFL playoff bracket would look like if the postseason started today. Both conferences send seven teams: the top four are division leaders, seeds 5 through 7 are wild cards, and the No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye. We refresh this every Monday and again Tuesday morning once Monday Night Football is in the books.
AFC Playoff Picture
| Seed | Team | Rec | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | 1-0 | First-round bye |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | Division leader |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-0 | Division leader |
| 4 | Las Vegas Raiders | 1-0 | Division leader |
| 5 | New York Jets | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 8 | Houston Texans | 0-1 | In the hunt |
| 9 | Indianapolis Colts | 0-1 | In the hunt |
AFC Wild Card Matchups
First-round bye: (1) Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
NFC Playoff Picture
| Seed | Team | Rec | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 1-0 | First-round bye |
| 2 | New York Giants | 1-0 | Division leader |
| 3 | San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | Division leader |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 0-1 | Division leader |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1-0 | Wild card |
| 8 | Arizona Cardinals | 1-0 | In the hunt |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks | 1-0 | In the hunt |
NFC Wild Card Matchups
First-round bye: (1) Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Fill Out the Bracket Yourself
Want to print it and pencil in your own picks as the season plays out? Grab our blank printable NFL playoff bracket, or use the online bracket maker with its NFL preset to build and share a custom bracket in seconds.
How the NFL Playoff Format Works
Seven teams from each conference reach the playoffs: the four division winners are seeded 1 through 4 by record, and the three best non-division-winners are the wild cards at seeds 5 through 7. Only the No. 1 seed gets a bye through Wild Card Weekend. In the first round the No. 2 seed hosts No. 7, No. 3 hosts No. 6, and No. 4 hosts No. 5. The bracket reseeds after each round, so the top remaining seed always plays the lowest remaining seed. This early in the year the order is decided largely by tiebreakers, so expect plenty of movement week to week.
More 2026 NFL Resources
Track the races all season with the 2026 NFL standings and playoff picture, print the blank 2026-27 NFL playoff bracket, and build your own with the bracket maker.
