Overview
- Three head-to-head matchups will directly decide the remaining division titles and berths: 49ers vs. Seahawks, Steelers vs. Ravens, and Panthers vs. Buccaneers.
- The San Francisco–Seattle winner takes the NFC West and secures the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
- Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore will settle the AFC North with the victor earning the conference’s No. 4 seed and a home playoff game.
- Carolina at Tampa Bay will determine the NFC South champion and the NFC’s No. 4 seed after the Panthers won the earlier meeting.
- Week 17 reshaped the race as Denver clinched the AFC West via the Chargers’ loss, Kansas City and Indianapolis were eliminated, and Las Vegas positioned for the 2026 draft’s top pick subject to Week 18 results.