How many teams make the playoffs in the NFL? Postseason bracket explained

The 2023 NFL season is reaching its business end, and the contenders are getting separated from the pretenders. As we enter Week 11, the playoff picture is getting clearer, and your favorite franchise is either in the postseason hunt or in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.

According to the current format, 14 teams will make the playoffs. This format was adopted in 2020, as the league increased the postseason quota from 12 to 14. Now, rather than six franchises making the postseason, seven franchises per conference will move on to the playoffs instead.

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How many wild card teams are in the NFL playoffs?

It is important to dive into the history books to know how we arrived at the six wildcard spots in the NFL postseason. In 2020, the NFL and players union decided that an additional Wild Card team would be added to each conference for the playoffs.

Hence, the quota for wild card franchises went from two to three per conference. So, the number of franchises per conference making the postseason was seven, and that's why we have 14 teams making the playoffs.

That means that the top four teams are division winners, where the franchise with the best record will earn the number one seed and a first-round playoff bye during wild card weekend.

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NFL standings: Projecting playoff-caliber teams for 2023

Here's the current playoff projection based on the NFL standings heading into Week 11:

AFC Conference:

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
2. Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3)
4. Miami Dolphins (7-3)

Wild Card Race

1. Cleveland Browns (7-3)
2. Houston Texans (6-4)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)
4. Buffalo Bills (6-5)
5. Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
6. Denver Broncos (5-5)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5)
8. Las Vegas Raiders (5-6)

NFC Conference

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
2. Detroit Lions (8-2)
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-3)
4. New Orleans Saints (5-5)

Wild Card Race

1. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
2. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
3. Minnesota Vikings (6-5)
4. Green Bay Packers (4-6)
5. Los Angeles Rams (4-6)
6. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
8. Washington Commanders (4-7)