Wild Card Bracket 2027
The wild card bracket is the first round of the NFL playoffs. Each conference's 1 seed has a bye, and the other games are 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5.
Wild Card weekend matchups
Names and records are the current public standings. Division leaders are seeds 1 through 4 and wild cards are seeds 5 through 7. The tiebreak is simplified, so this order can differ from the official NFL seeding. A dash in the record column means that team's record was not on the feed.
AFC Wild Card
| Seed | Team | W-L-T | Wild Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | 5-1-0 | Bye |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | 5-1-0 | Hosts #7 Cincinnati Bengals |
| 7 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-2-0 | At #2 Buffalo Bills |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-2-0 | Hosts #6 Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns | 5-2-0 | At #3 Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-2-0 | Hosts #5 Denver Broncos |
| 5 | Denver Broncos | 5-2-0 | At #4 Jacksonville Jaguars |
#2 Buffalo Bills vs #7 Cincinnati Bengals — Winner: ____________
#3 Pittsburgh Steelers vs #6 Cleveland Browns — Winner: ____________
#4 Jacksonville Jaguars vs #5 Denver Broncos — Winner: ____________
NFC Wild Card
| Seed | Team | W-L-T | Wild Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-0-0 | Bye |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | 6-1-0 | Hosts #7 Green Bay Packers |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 5-3-0 | At #2 San Francisco 49ers |
| 3 | New York Giants | 4-2-1 | Hosts #6 Detroit Lions |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | 4-2-0 | At #3 New York Giants |
| 4 | Atlanta Falcons | 3-4-0 | Hosts #5 Chicago Bears |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | 5-2-0 | At #4 Atlanta Falcons |
#2 San Francisco 49ers vs #7 Green Bay Packers — Winner: ____________
#3 New York Giants vs #6 Detroit Lions — Winner: ____________
#4 Atlanta Falcons vs #5 Chicago Bears — Winner: ____________
How the pairings are set
Once the seven seeds in a conference are set, Wild Card weekend does not get re-seeded. The higher seed hosts. Winners move on, and only then are the remaining teams re-seeded for the Divisional round. The 1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed. The other two Wild Card winners play each other, again with the higher remaining seed hosting.
The NFL lists Wild Card weekend as January 16-18, 2027. That date is from the league's 2026-27 important dates. Kickoff times are not on that list. The rest of the calendar, including Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is on the NFL playoff bracket 2027 page. Fill the later rounds in that bracket, or start from the NFL playoff picture if you want the full 14-team field first.
FAQ
- What are the Wild Card matchups?
- Each conference plays three games: the 2 seed hosts the 7 seed, the 3 seed hosts the 6 seed, and the 4 seed hosts the 5 seed. The 1 seed does not play.
- Does the 1 seed play on Wild Card weekend?
- No. The 1 seed in the AFC and the 1 seed in the NFC have a bye. They play their first game in the Divisional round, against the lowest remaining seed from their conference.
- Who hosts a Wild Card game?
- The higher seed hosts. That is the 2, 3, or 4 seed in each of the three games.
- Do these pairings use the official NFL tiebreakers?
- The pairing rules are the league's: bye for the 1 seed, then 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5. The seed order on this page uses a simplified tiebreak, so it can differ from the NFL's official seeds. Records are shown only when the standings feed loads.
- Can I print the wild card bracket?
- Yes. Use Print / Save as PDF. Each game has a line for the winner. The full bracket, including later rounds, is on the 2027 NFL playoff bracket page.