Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, quarterback Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can only watch from the bench as the Dolphins drive down the field in the final minutes of Sunday's game. The 27-24 loss meant the Patriots missed out on the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and a first-round bye. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]

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How does Playoff Seeding work in the NFL? Does the NFL reseed after the Wildcard Round?

NFL playoff seeding and hosting rules explained.

The NFL postseason is designed to reward strong regular-season performances while maintaining the unpredictability of a single-elimination format. Fourteen teams—seven from each conference—compete for the Super Bowl in a structured, seeding-based bracket system. The seeding impacts matchups at every stage, including the wildcard round and beyond.

NFL Playoff Seeding Method

In the NFL, 14 teams qualify for the playoffs each season, which includes 8 division winners and 6 wild-card teams. The playoff structure is divided into two conferences: the AFC (American Football Conference) and the NFC (National Football Conference). Each conference’s teams are seeded based on their regular-season records, with the top seed receiving a first-round bye. The seeding is as follows:

Last year, the Packers were the first 7-seed to win a playoff game 🧀 Will they do it again this weekend? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Bzb3s3OcJ8
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 10, 2025

No. 1 seed: Best overall record in the conference
No. 2 seed: Second-best record among division winners
No. 3 seed: Third-best record among division winners
No. 4 seed: Fourth-best record among division winners
No. 5 seed: Best record among wild-card teams
No. 6 seed: Second-best record among wild-card teams
No. 7 seed: Third-best record among wild-card teams

The playoff matchups are determined as follows:

The No. 1 seeds receive a bye in the first round.
The matchups for the wild-card round consist of:
- No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
- No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
- No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed

After the wild-card games, the remaining teams are matched up based on their seeding, with the lowest remaining seeds facing the highest remaining seeds in the divisional round

Does the NFL reseed after the wildcard round?

The playoff structure prioritizes rewarding top-performing teams with favorable matchups. The No. 1 seed always hosts the lowest-remaining seed in the divisional round, while the other two advancing teams face each other. The higher seed hosts in all rounds leading up to the Super Bowl.

Unlike a fixed bracket system like March Madness, NFL matchups shift based on seeding. For example, if a No. 7 seed upsets a No. 2 seed in the Wild Card Round, the No. 7 seed would face the No. 1 seed next, regardless of other results. This setup ensures that higher-seeded teams maintain their competitive advantage throughout the postseason. However, the bracket itself is not formally reseeded.

In the conference championship, the higher-seeded team continues to host, maintaining the competitive structure until the Super Bowl, which is played at a predetermined neutral site.

Image Credits: Imagn Images

NFL playoff seeding

Natasha Bose

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