Here's how the NFL playoff bracket looks after latest wild-card games

[ASFN Admin]

The 2025 NFL playoffs have begun, and the league is in the process of whittling its postseason field from 14 to eight during wild-card weekend.

The process began Jan. 10 when the Carolina Panthers hosted the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. The Rams were able to eke out a 34-31 victory, as Matthew Stafford threw a game-winning, 19-yard touchdown to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds remaining in regulation.

Later on Saturday, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers squared off for the third time of the season. The Bears overcame an 18-point deficit and scored 25 fourth-quarter points to earn a 31-27 win and avoid becoming the second-ever No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 7 seed since the NFL's playoff expansion.

Four more games have yet to be played. Three of those will come on Sunday, Jan 11 while the final game – the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans matchup – will take place on Jan. 12 as part of ESPN's "Monday Night Football" package.

Here's how the NFL's playoff bracket currently looks as teams continue to stamp their respective passages to the divisional round.

2025 NFL playoff bracket​

Here's how the NFL playoff bracket looks as the league's six wild-card games are decided:

AFC​

The AFC playoff bracket won't be decided in full until the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers play on "Monday Night Football." Below is the current state of the conference's playoff bracket.

• No. 1 Denver Broncos (BYE)
• No. 2 New England Patriots vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers
• No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. No. 6 Buffalo Bills
• No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 5 Houston Texans

NFC​

The NFC's divisional round matchups will be decided by the result of Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers game. Below is a look at how the bracket is currently shaping up.

• No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (BYE) vs No. 5 Los Angeles Rams OR No. 6 San Francisco 49ers
• No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles OR No. 5 Los Angeles Rams

2025 NFL playoffs schedule​

Below is the full schedule for all remaining NFL playoff games.

All times Eastern.

Wild-card round​

Sunday, Jan. 11

• Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
• San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox
• Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, 8 p.m. ET, NBC

Monday, Jan. 12

• Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

Divisional round​

Saturday, Jan. 17

• AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
• AFC/NFC divisional game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18

• AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.
• AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round​

Sunday, Jan. 25

• AFC championship game: 3 p.m.
• NFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl 60y​

• TV: NBC
• Date: Feb. 8, 2026
• Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
• Time: 6:30 p.m.

How does the NFL playoff bracket work?​

The NFL playoffs feature 14 total teams. The top seeds in each conference get a first-round bye while the remaining 12 teams square off against one another in wild-card matchups.

The NFL uses a dynamic bracket in its postseason format, which means the bracket changes as the playoffs progress.

How exactly does that process work? Rather than having a fixed bracket, the postseason tournament re-seeds after each round. That means the No. 1 seed will face the lowest-remaining seed after the wild-card round while the two remaining teams in each conference will face off against one another.

If the No. 1 seed is upset on either side of the bracket, the top remaining seed would get home-field advantage in their conference championship game. That means, hypothetically, that any team – save for the No. 7 seed in each conference – could host a home playoff contest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff bracket 2025: Matchups, schedule after wild card round

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