Football fever is running high in the Windy City as the Chicago Bears prepare for their first playoff appearance since the 2020 season.
The Bears clinched that spot thanks to their win over the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there’s still plenty to play for as the Bears seek to improve their playoff seeding in the final two weeks of the regular season.
Numerous spots in the playoffs have already been clinched, including three by teams in the NFC West, but there’s still plenty of drama on how things will shake out by the time Week 18 wraps up.
Here’s what you need to know.
Which teams are already in the playoffs?
Only two spots in the AFC playoffs have been clinched, as the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots have clinched their spots. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers are all 11-4 on the season, with the Houston Texans at 10-5.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are also within one win of clinching the AFC North after their win over the Lions.
Things are more settled in the NFC, as the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Bears are all already in, leaving just two spots to be decided.
The Carolina Panthers are leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a game in the NFC South, while the Packers still control their own destiny in their battle with the Lions for the last postseason berth.
When does the postseason begin?
The Super Wild Card Round will get underway on Saturday, January 10 with two games, according to the NFL. Three more games are set for that Sunday, and there will be one Monday night game on January 12.
That schedule will be announced after the regular season concludes.
How does the playoff format work?
The NFL expanded the postseason prior to the 2020 season, with seven teams from each conference getting into the playoffs. The top four seeds in each conference go to divisional winners, with the remaining three spots going to wild card teams.
Division winners are guaranteed to host playoff games, with the top seed in each conference securing a first-round bye.
After the first weekend of the playoffs, the lowest-seeded team remaining in each conference plays the No. 1 seed.
When is Super Bowl LX?
This year’s Super Bowl will be contested at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.
The game will air on NBC and Telemundo, and will be available to stream on Peacock.
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