NFL Playoff Picture If Season Ended Today

It’s never too early to take a look at how the NFL playoffs would shake out if the season ended today. There’s obviously a long way to go, but some teams are already starting to set themselves up for the postseason.

Likewise, each week brings new teams into the mix. The Cincinnati Bengals were a playoff afterthought until they upset the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday night. Suddenly, they’re a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Steelers in the AFC North — just one game out of the last wild-card spot — with quarterback Joe Burrow possibly making a return to action in mid-December.

Three AFC teams that missed the playoffs a year ago — the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots — would be in the 2025 postseason if the playoffs began today. Two NFC teams — the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers — would return to the playoffs. Six teams that made the playoffs in 2024 are currently on the outside looking in: Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings.

The Chiefs are tied with the Jaguars at 4-3 for the last playoff spot, but Jacksonville gets the nod for now based on its Week 5 Monday night win over Kansas City.

There are still two more games to play in Week 7, as we’ve got a “Monday Night Football” doubleheader. Those games could affect the current playoff picture, but here’s what the playoff seedings would look like if the season ended today:

AFC Playoff Seeding

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. New England Patriots
3. Denver Broncos
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC Wild Card Round (Colts get bye):
Jaguars at Patriots
Chargers at Broncos
Bills at Steelers

NFC Playoff Seeding

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Los Angeles Rams
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Detroit Lions

NFC Wild Card Round (Buccaneers get bye):
Lions at Packers
Seahawks at Eagles
Rams at 49ers

Here’s a breakdown of the NFL’s tiebreaking procedures.