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How many teams get a bye in the NFL playoffs? 2025 postseason format, explained

jacob camenker, usa today
·3 min read

The NFL constantly tinkers with its rules, and it's sometimes hard to keep track of all the league's changes.

That said, one with which fans are familiar by now is the league's most recent playoff format changes.

Ahead of the 2020 NFL season, the league expanded its postseason from 12 teams to 14. That change necessitated a minor format change, as two teams in each conference no longer received a first-round bye.

The NFL is now in the fifth year of its latest postseason change. Here's a refresher on the league's playoff format and how many teams get bye weeks.

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How many NFL teams earn a bye in the playoffs?

Two NFL teams will have byes in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Those are awarded to the No. 1 seeds in each conference, which will be the AFC's Kansas City Chiefs and NFC's Detroit Lions for the 2025 NFL playoffs.

Under the NFL's previous playoff format, the top two seeds in each conference got a bye in the first round of the playoffs. That was because there was no No. 7 seed in either conference.

The NFL expanded its playoff field from 12 to 14 ahead of the 2020 NFL season, making the 2021 NFL playoffs the first time only one team had not gotten a bye week.

No. 7 seeds have a record of just 1-7 on wild-card weekend, with the Green Bay Packers being the only team to earn a win. That came during the 2024 NFL playoffs, which came following the 2023 NFL season.

NFL playoff format

Wild card round

No. 1 seed has a bye.

  • No. 7 seed at No. 2 seed

  • No. 6 seed at No. 3 seed

  • No. 5 seed at No. 4 seed

Divisional round

  • Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 seed

  • Second-lowest remaining seed at second-highest remaining seed

Conference championship

  • Divisional round winners, hosted by higher seed

Super Bowl

  • Conference championship winners

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NFL playoffs schedule

The NFL playoffs kick off on Jan. 11 with the league's wild card weekend before concluding on Feb. 9 with Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

Wild card round

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 11

Sunday, Jan. 12

Monday, Jan. 13

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round

Sunday, Jan. 26

  • NFC championship game: 3 p.m.

  • AFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl 59

  • Date: Feb. 9, 2025

  • Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.

  • TV: FOX

Where is the Super Bowl this year?

The Caesars Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, will host Super Bowl 59. It will mark the eighth time that the Super Bowl is played in the Saints' home stadium.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many teams get a bye in the NFL playoffs? Bracket format explained