Who do Seahawks play next? Potential NFL playoff opponents, matchups
- - Who do Seahawks play next? Potential NFL playoff opponents, matchups
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY January 3, 2026 at 10:50 PM
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The Seattle Seahawks were able to beat the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 in Week 18 to win the NFC West and the conference's coveted No. 1 seed.
As the NFC's top seed, the Seahawks will get a first-round bye in the playoffs. They will have a week to heal before preparing to face their next opponent, which will be determined by the results of the wild-card matchups in the NFC.
Because the NFL uses a dynamic bracket for its postseason – meaning the bracket re-seeds after each round – Seattle has a plethora of options for teams it can face in the divisional round.
Who are they? Here's a breakdown of Seattle's potential playoff opponents as Mike Macdonald looks to earn his first playoff win in 2025.
makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/fo8okmfdHRvDHl_AjAyGtw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/ece3b009de0e7aba961c9dfc2585f6aa class=caas-img data-headline="Best images of the 2025 NFL season" data-caption="
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/fo8okmfdHRvDHl_AjAyGtw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/ece3b009de0e7aba961c9dfc2585f6aa class=caas-img>
1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Who will Seahawks play next?
The Seahawks' next opponent won't be determined until the NFL's wild-card matchups are played. That said, Seattle will have only four potential opponents for its first postseason game in the 2025-26 NFL playoffs.
Here's a look at the potential options for who the Seahawks could play next:
NFC South winner (Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams
Green Bay Packers
The teams listed above will be the No. 4 through No. 7 seeds, though the exact order has not yet been fully determined. The Seahawks will play the lowest-seeded team remaining to advance to the conference's divisional round.
NFC playoff bracket 2025
Below is a look at the current projected NFC playoff bracket entering the final day of the regular season:
NFC:
No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (BYE)
No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Rams
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 5 San Francisco 49ers
Of the listed teams, only the Seahawks and the Packers have locked up their respective seeds. The Bears and Eagles will be the NFC's No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in some order, while the Rams and 49ers will be the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in some order.
Meanwhile, the No. 4 seed will be determined by the result of the Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints game. If the Saints win, the Buccaneers will remain the NFC South champion and No. 4 seed. If the Falcons win, the Panthers will take over the division title from the Bucs.
NFL playoff schedule
The NFL playoffs will kick off on Jan. 10 with the league's first two wild-card matchups before concluding on Feb. 8 with Super Bowl 60 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Super Wild Card weekend
All times Eastern
Wild Card weekend
All times Eastern
Saturday, Jan. 10
AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 11
AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 17
AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC division 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 60 -
Date: Feb. 8, 2026
Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: NBC
NFL playoff picture Week 18AFC -
Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
NFC -
Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)*
Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, NFC South leaders)
San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Carolina Panthers (8-9)
An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who do Seahawks play next? Breaking down potential playoff opponents
Source: “AOL Sports”
