How many teams make the NFL playoffs? Fourteen teams make it: seven from the AFC and seven from the NFC. That is 14 of the league’s 32 teams. The short answer to how many teams make the NFL playoffs never changes mid-season — fourteen, seven per conference. This guide covers the format, the seeding, and the full playoff schedule for the 2026 season.
How many teams make the NFL playoffs from each conference?
Each conference sends seven teams:
- Four division winners. The team with the best record in each division qualifies and is seeded 1 to 4.
- Three wild cards. The three best teams that did not win a division take seeds 5, 6, and 7.
The NFL has used this 14-team format since the 2020 season. Before that, 12 teams qualified.
NFL playoff schedule for the 2026 season
| Round | Dates | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card round | January 16–18, 2027 | 6 |
| Divisional round | January 23–24, 2027 | 4 |
| Conference Championships | Sunday, January 31, 2027 | 2 |
| Super Bowl LXI | Sunday, February 14, 2027 | 1 |
The regular season ends on Sunday, January 10, 2027. The playoffs begin six days later. There is a two-week gap between the conference championships and the Super Bowl.
How the NFL playoff bracket works
Wild Card round
The top seed in each conference gets a bye and does not play. The other six teams play three games per conference. The higher seed is always at home.
| Game | Home team | Away team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seed 2 | Seed 7 |
| 2 | Seed 3 | Seed 6 |
| 3 | Seed 4 | Seed 5 |
Divisional round
The top seed joins the three winners. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket. The top seed plays the lowest seed that is left, and the other two winners play each other.
Conference Championships and Super Bowl
The two teams left in each conference play for the conference title. The AFC champion and the NFC champion then meet in the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium. See what time the Super Bowl starts for kickoff details.
How are playoff ties broken?
Teams often finish with the same record. The NFL then uses a list of tiebreakers. The first few are:
- Head-to-head result between the tied teams
- Record in division games (for teams in the same division)
- Record against common opponents
- Record in conference games
Because of these rules, one result in October can decide a playoff place in January.
What is the playoff picture?
The playoff picture is a snapshot of which teams would qualify if the season ended today. It changes after every game. Early in the season it moves a lot. By December, most places come down to a few key matchups.
The wild card standings are part of the picture. They rank the teams that are not leading a division, and the top three in each conference hold the wild card places. So how many teams make the NFL playoffs through the wild card route? Six — three per conference, joining the eight division winners.
The fastest way to follow it is to watch the results. Our NFL scores today page lists every final score, and our list of all 32 NFL teams shows who plays in each division.
Where to watch the NFL playoffs
The six Wild Card games are shared between CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and ABC, and Prime Video. Super Bowl LXI is on ABC and ESPN.
NFL playoffs FAQ
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
Fourteen teams: seven from the AFC and seven from the NFC.
How many wild card teams are there?
Three in each conference, six in total.
Which teams get a bye in the NFL playoffs?
Only the top seed in each conference. Those two teams skip the Wild Card round.
When do the NFL playoffs start?
The Wild Card round for the 2026 season runs from January 16 to January 18, 2027.
Does the NFL reseed in the playoffs?
Yes. In the Divisional round, the top seed plays the lowest remaining seed in its conference.
Source: 2026 NFL season on Wikipedia.
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