NFL Playoff Picture Week 7
Last updated
The NFL playoff picture shows which seven teams in each conference would make the playoffs if the 2026 season ended today. The four division leaders hold seeds 1 to 4 and the three best remaining teams hold the wild card seeds 5 to 7. The tables below update after every game through Week 18 on January 10, 2027, when the field is set.
Standings week 7 of the 2026 season, games in progress.
Clinch watch
Clinching and elimination scenarios appear from Week 10. Right now every team is still mathematically alive.
AFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Division | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kansas City Chiefs | 5-0 | AFC West | In, first-round bye |
| 2 |  Buffalo Bills | 5-1 | AFC East | In as division leader |
| 3 |  Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-2 | AFC South | In as division leader |
| 4 |  Cleveland Browns | 4-2 | AFC North | In as division leader |
| 5 |  Denver Broncos | 4-2 | AFC West | In as wild card |
| 6 |  Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-2 | AFC North | In as wild card |
| 7 |  Baltimore Ravens | 4-2 | AFC North | In as wild card |
| 8 |  Cincinnati Bengals | 3-2 | AFC North | In the hunt |
| 9 |  New England Patriots | 4-3 | AFC East | In the hunt |
| 10 |  Las Vegas Raiders | 3-3 | AFC West | In the hunt |
| 11 |  New York Jets | 2-4 | AFC East | Outside the picture |
| 12 |  Indianapolis Colts | 2-4 | AFC South | Outside the picture |
NFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Division | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  San Francisco 49ers | 6-0 | NFC West | In, first-round bye |
| 2 |  Minnesota Vikings | 5-0 | NFC North | In as division leader |
| 3 |  Carolina Panthers | 3-2 | NFC South | In as division leader |
| 4 |  New York Giants | 3-2-1 | NFC East | In as division leader |
| 5 |  Chicago Bears | 5-2 | NFC North | In as wild card |
| 6 |  Green Bay Packers | 4-2 | NFC North | In as wild card |
| 7 |  Detroit Lions | 3-2 | NFC North | In as wild card |
| 8 |  Seattle Seahawks | 3-3 | NFC West | In the hunt |
| 9 |  Atlanta Falcons | 2-4 | NFC South | In the hunt |
| 10 |  New Orleans Saints | 2-4 | NFC South | In the hunt |
| 11 |  Philadelphia Eagles | 2-4 | NFC East | Outside the picture |
| 12 |  Dallas Cowboys | 2-4 | NFC East | Outside the picture |
Seeds 1 to 7 are in if the season ended today. Division winners take seeds 1 to 4.
Data updated
What do the clinch letters mean?
The NFL uses four letters in its standings during December and January. In the tables above they are written out in the status column.
| Letter | Meaning | What it guarantees |
|---|---|---|
| x | Clinched playoff berth | A spot in the field, seed still open |
| y | Clinched division | A home Wild Card game at worst (seed 4 or better) |
| z | Clinched first-round bye | The No. 1 seed and a week off |
| * | Clinched home-field advantage | Every game before the Super Bowl at home |
| e | Eliminated | Out of playoff contention |
How do teams move up and down the playoff picture?
Seeds 1 to 4 are ranked by record among division leaders only, so a division leader with a worse record than a wild card team still sits above it. Seeds 5 to 7 are the three best records among everyone else in the conference. When records are equal, the NFL applies its tiebreakers, starting with head-to-head results and division or conference records. A team can drop from a bye to a wild card spot in a single week if it loses its division lead.
What is “in the hunt”?
Teams in seeds 8 to 10 are usually within a game or two of the last wild card spot with the tiebreakers still in play. They are not in the field today but can get there with wins and help. Once a team is mathematically unable to reach seventh place in its conference, it is marked eliminated.
NFL playoff picture in short
Seven in per conference, division winners on top, wild cards below the line. Check back every Monday morning: this page reflects every result from the weekend, and from mid-December the clinch and elimination statuses tell you exactly who is still alive.
When can a team clinch a playoff spot?
The earliest clinches usually come in Week 14 or 15 of a 17-game season. A team clinches when no combination of remaining results can leave it outside the top seven in its conference.
Can a team with a worse record make the playoffs over a team with a better one?
Yes. Division winners are guaranteed a spot and a top-four seed regardless of record, so a 9-8 division champion can be in while a 10-7 team from a stronger division misses out on a wild card.
What is a clinching scenario?
A list of results that would lock a team into the playoffs, a division title or a seed that week. The NFL publishes them each Wednesday from December onward, for example: Team A clinches a playoff berth with a win, or with a loss by Team B and a tie by Team C.
Does the playoff picture include tiebreakers?
Yes. The seeds shown already apply the official tiebreaker order for teams with the same record, so the table matches what the NFL publishes.
How many teams are usually still alive going into Week 18?
In recent seasons between 18 and 22 of the 32 teams have entered the final week with a path to the playoffs, and several seeds are routinely decided by the last game on Sunday night.