NFL playoff picture gets more clarity as season hits midway point

Jack McKessy, USA TODAYMon, November 9, 2026 at 12:47 AM UTC

Who's in? Who's out?

As the book closes on the Sunday slate in Week 9, the sun sets on the first half of the 2026 regular season. Fourteen teams currently sit on the inside of the NFL playoff picture bubble. The other 18 are all still competing for a spot in the postseason.

Even the 0-8 Los Angeles Chargers, the league's only winless team, are not yet mathematically eliminated.

Still, the real contenders for a playoff spot – and possible Super Bowl 61 run – have emerged. The same is true for many of the "pretenders": the teams without a real chance at a postseason berth despite the lack of mathematical eliminations.

Here's a complete look at how the seeding would be set in the AFC and NFC if the season were to end heading into "Monday Night Football" in Week 9:

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NFL playoff picture: Week 9

All 32 teams are still mathematically in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs – none have been eliminated yet halfway through the season.

Here's how the playoffs would look if the season ended after the Sunday slate in Week 9:

AFC:

Buffalo Bills (AFC East leader, 6-1)

Denver Broncos (AFC West leader, 7-2)

Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South leader, 6-2)

Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North leader, 6-2)

Kansas City Chiefs (wild card No. 1, 6-2)

Cincinnati Bengals (wild card No. 2, 6-2)

New England Patriots (wild card No. 3, 5-4)

In the hunt: Cleveland Browns (5-4), Las Vegas Raiders (4-5), Baltimore Ravens (4-5), Houston Texans (3-5), New York Jets (2-7), Indianapolis Colts (2-7), Miami Dolphins (1-7), Tennessee Titans (1-7), Los Angeles Chargers (0-8)

NFC:

San Francisco 49ers (NFC West leader, 7-1)

Minnesota Vikings (NFC North leader, 6-1)

New York Giants (NFC East leader, 5-2-1)

Carolina Panthers (NFC South leader, 3-5)

Chicago Bears (wild card No. 1, 7-2)

Detroit Lions (wild card No. 2, 6-2)

Green Bay Packers (wild card No. 3, 6-3)

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (5-4), Los Angeles Rams (5-4), Dallas Cowboys (4-5), New Orleans Saints (3-5), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6), Atlanta Falcons (3-6), Arizona Cardinals (3-6), Washington Commanders (2-5-1), Philadelphia Eagles (2-7)

This story has been with new information following the Bears-Buccaneers "Sunday Night Football" game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff picture gets more clarity as season hits midway point

Source: Sports