NFL standings: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures for Week 16 of 2025 season

What 14 teams are positioned to make the NFL playoffs in the 2025 regular season, from the eight division winners to six total wild cards?

What would the seeding look like in the race for Super Bowl 60?

Here are the answers in Sporting News' latest look at how the postseason field is coming together in both conferences going into the Sunday night and Monday night games of Week 16.

NFL POWER RANKINGS: Seahawks edge Patriots for new No. 1; Jaguars, Bears also rise

NFL playoff picture for Week 16

AFC

1. Denver Broncos, 12-3 (first place, AFC West)

The Broncos, who have clinched a playoff berth, lead the Patriots by only a common-games tiebreaker for the top playoff seed after their tough Sunday home loss against the Jaguars, whom they lead by two games. The Broncos still lead the Chargers by one game in the division title race.

2. New England Patriots, 12-3 (first place, AFC East)

The Patriots are just behind the Broncos and stayed a game ahead of the Bills in the division after winning Sunday night's tough road game over the Ravens. The Patriots clinched at least a wild-card playoff berth with the victory.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 11-4 (first place, AFC South)

The Jaguars lead the division by a full game over the Texans and by 2.5 games over the third-place Colts. The Jaguars can clinch a playoff berth after beating the Broncos in Denver if the Colts lose on Monday night.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-6 (first place, AFC North)

The Steelers lead the Ravens b two games and a head-to-head tiebreaker after winning their big interconference road game against the Lions. The Steelers and Ravens will meet again in Week 18 in Pittsburgh but now the Steelers can clinch with a win in Week 17.

5. Los Angeles Chargers, 11-4 (second place, AFC West)

The Chargers can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 after their win over the Cowboys with a loss by the Colts, to at least ensure a wild-card berth. They hold this spot over the Bills because of the conference-record tiebreaker (8-2 vs. 8-3).

6. Buffalo Bills, 11-4 (second place, AFC East)

The Bills also can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 after their win over the Browns with a loss by the Colts to at least ensure a wild-card berth. They are only a half-game behind the Patriots ahead of that team playing on Sunday night.

7. Houston Texans, 10-5 (second place, AFC South)

The Texans kept pace with the Jaguars with their win over the Raiders. They also are 1.5 games up on the third-place Colts.

Who's in the hunt?

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-8)

The Colts need to beat the 49ers on Monday to stay alive and get a ton of help. The Ravens need to win out and the Steelers need to lose out for them to win the AFC North now..

Who's out?

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-9)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
13. New York Jets (3-12)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
15. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)

The Chiefs and Dolphins were the latest teams to be eliminated after their Week 15 losses.

NFL DRAFT ORDER: Giants, Raiders overtake Titans in race for No. 1 pick

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks, 12-3 (first place, NFC West)

The Seahawks leapfrogged the Rams by beating Los Angeles at home in Thursday night's overtime thriller to open Week 16 to go up a full game. The Seahawks, who have clinched a playoff berth, lead the Bears by a game in the race for the top seed.

MORE: Updated playoff picture for Seahawks after victory over Rams

2. Chicago Bears, 11-4 (first place, NFC North)

The Bears beat the Packers, whom they now lead by 1.5 games, at home on Saturday to keep the division lead and this seed position in between the Seahawks and Eagles. They lead the Eagles by one game and a head-to-head tiebreaker coming out of Week 16. The Bears would clinch at least a wild-card berth with a Lions loss.

3. Philadelphia Eagles, 10-5 (champions, NFC East)

The Eagles clinched a repeat for the division title and will stay here after beating the Commanders on Saturday night but remained at No. 3 with the Bears beating the Packers.

4. Carolina Panthers 7-7 (first place, NFC South)

The Panthers beat the Buccaneers to go up a full game in the division with two games left to play. They can clinch the division with a Week 17 win over the Seahawks coupled by a Buccaneers loss at the Dolphins. If both of those things don't happen, than it would come down to the rematch in Tampa Bay in Week 18.

5. Los Angeles Rams, 11-4 (second place, NFC West) 

The Rams, who clinched a playoff berth in Week 15, fell here from No. 1 after losing to the Seahawks on Thursday night. They would fall to No. 6 behind the 49ers if the 49ers beat the Colts on Monday, as the 49ers own the division-record tiebreaker (4-1 vs. 3-2).

MORE: Updated Rams playoff picture after loss to Seahawks

6. San Francisco 49ers, 10-4 (third place, NFC West)

The 49ers will either move up past the Rams with a win or stay here with a loss at 10-5, ahead of the 9-5-1 Packers. The 49ers clinched a playoff spot with the 49ers loss.

7. Green Bay Packers, 9-5-1 (second place, NFC North)

The Packers trail the Bears by 1.5 games after failing to take first place by blowing a late fourth-quarter lead against the Bears on Saturday. Green Bay's lead over Detroit for the final wild card remains 1.5 games.

Who's in the hunt?

8. Detroit Lions (8-7)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)

The Lions have slim margin for error behind the Packers in the North. The Buccaneers' only path is taking the South over the Panthers.

Who's out?

9. Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
11. Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
12. Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
14. Washington Commanders (4-11)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
16. New York Giants (2-13)

The Vikings, Falcons and Saints are all playing well for pride as strong spoilers. The Cowboys were eliminated with the Eagles clinching of the division.

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