Who did and didn’t make the NFL playoffs this year? Who’s picking at the top of the 2026 NFL draft?

By Patrick Sung, Ben Church, Frank Nunns OConnell, CNN

(CNN) — It’s been a long 2025 NFL season so far with twists, turns, shocking injuries, surprising contenders and disappointing years from preseason favorites.

As we come off the final week of action in the regular season, the playoff picture is set and the 2026 NFL draft order has taken shape.

So who’s in, who’s looking towards their draft spot and what does the playoff schedule look like for a spot in Super Bowl LX and a chance to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Who’s in?

(All teams listed by current seeding in each conference)

AFC

1. Denver Broncos (14-3, 1st AFC West): The Broncos clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 18 with a 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them home advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. It is the first time Denver has been the AFC’s top seed since 2015, when the franchise ended up winning Super Bowl 50.

2. New England Patriots (14-3, 1st AFC East): New England rounded off its impressive campaign by finishing as the No. 2 seed after easing past the Miami Dolphins 38-10 on Sunday. It will be the Patriots’ first postseason appearance since the 2021 season.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4, 1st AFC South): The Jags clinched the AFC South and the No. 3 seed on Sunday after routing the Tennessee Titans 41-7.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, 1st AFC North): The Steelers clinched the AFC North in dramatic fashion on Sunday Night Football after edging out the Ravens 26-24 courtesy of a late missed field goal by Baltimore kicker Tyler Loop.

5. Houston Texans (12-5, 2nd AFC South): Houston’s sensational defense has fired the franchise into the postseason for a third straight year. The team showed it will be a difficult opponent in the playoffs with a 38-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, the Texans’ ninth straight win.

6. Buffalo Bills (12-5, 2nd AFC East): After losing in dramatic circumstances against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, the Bills closed out the year with a home victory against the New York Jets to clinch the No. 6 seed before wild card weekend.

7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, 2nd AFC West): The Chargers have stumbled into the postseason on a two-game losing streak and have a date with the Patriots on Sunday.

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3, 1st NFC West): The Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 in Week 18 to wrap up the NFC West title and the conference’s top spot. They’ll now have home advantage through the postseason as well as a first-round bye.

2. Chicago Bears (11-6, 1st NFC North): Da Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 so some celebration is merited. But, after spending so many years in the proverbial wilderness, the team won’t be content with just making it to the postseason. They lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and have something to prove against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on Saturday.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6, 1st NFC East): The defending Super Bowl champions are back in the postseason to defend their title but lost 24-17 to the Commanders in their last regular season game.

4. Carolina Panthers (8-9, 1st NFC South): It was a rollercoaster weekend for the Panthers but one which ended with a spot in the postseason. Carolina lost its crunch game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but progressed into the playoffs on tiebreakers after the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17.

5. Los Angeles Rams (12-5, 2nd NFC West): The Rams finish second in the NFC West, which has three teams in the playoffs this year. A 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18 will give them confidence for the postseason.

6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5, 3rd NFC West): After missing the postseason last year, the Niners are back and looking dangerous. They lost 13-3 to the Seahawks in Week 18 though which may serve as a reality check as to where they are.

7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1, 2nd NFC North): The Pack head into the playoffs off the back of four straight defeats, most recently against Minnesota in Week 18.

Wild card round schedule

Away @ home

Saturday

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers, 4:30 p.m ET

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears, 8 p.m. ET

Sunday

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots, 8 p.m. ET

Monday

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8 p.m. ET

2026 NFL draft order (Picks 1-18)

1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)

2. New York Jets (3-14)

3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)

4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)

5. New York Giants (4-13)

6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)

7. Washington Commanders (5-12)

8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)

9. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)

11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)

12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)

13. Los Angeles Rams (12-5) via Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

16. New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

17. Detroit Lions (9-8)

18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.