NFL Playoffs 2027: Schedule, Format, Teams and Super Bowl LXI Info

The 14 teams competing in the 2027 NFL Playoffs will begin their postseason journey on January 16, 2027, with the Wild Card Round, culminating in Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027. After 18 weeks of regular season play ending on January 10, 2027, the postseason features four rounds of single-elimination games where losing teams are immediately eliminated. A total of 32 teams make up the National Football League, divided equally into the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. Each conference features four divisions containing four teams, with every franchise playing a 17-game regular season schedule.

Wild Card Round Kickoff and Postseason Format

Postseason competition opens with the Wild Card Round running from January 16 to January 18, 2027, featuring three games per conference. Seven teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, comprising the four division champions and three wild-card selections. The wild-card spots are awarded to the three best non-division-winning teams in each conference based on regular-season records. Divisional winners always claim the top four seeds, meaning a wild-card team with a superior record can still land behind a division champion. The division winner with the best record is seeded #1, while the division winner with the worst record is seeded #4.

The top seed in each conference earns a valuable first-round bye week, allowing them to rest while the remaining six teams clash in single-elimination matchups. The higher-seeded team maintains home-field advantage throughout every round, except for the Super Bowl which takes place at a neutral site. The bracket does not remain fixed; the NFL reseeds the remaining teams after each round so that the highest remaining seed always faces the lowest remaining seed.

Divisional Round and Conference Championships Schedule

The four surviving conference finalists then advance to the Conference Championships on January 31, 2027, which serve as the two final games to determine who enters the Super Bowl. The NFL has eliminated the Pro Bowl game ahead of the 2027 playoffs—a decision made on August 26, 2026—leaving a two-week break between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. While the game itself has been canceled, the selection of the season’s best players into the Pro Bowl continues. The exact kickoff times are published by the NFL only shortly beforehand because they depend on the specific matchups, though playoff games traditionally run in the evening and at night for European viewers.

Broadcasting rights for the 2027 playoffs across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland belong to RTL and Sky under a joint agreement.

Current Conference Standings and Super Bowl LXI Venue

Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood near Los Angeles, with kickoff anticipated around 00:30 in the night to Monday, February 15 for European viewers.