Honestly, if you're looking for a simple name to circle on your calendar for February 8, 2026, you're a few days too early. We are currently right in the thick of the Divisional Round. It is January 15, 2026, and the NFL playoffs are basically a chaotic jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces just got chewed up by the dog.
People always ask "who play at the Super bowl" like it's a fixed concert lineup, but the reality is much more stressful for those of us with skin in the game. Right now, there are eight teams left standing. Eight. By Sunday night, that number gets cut in half.
The Current State of the 2026 Playoff Bracket
The road to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is currently running through Denver and Seattle. The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks grabbed the top seeds this year, meaning they’ve been sitting at home resting while everyone else beat each other up in the Wild Card round.
It’s been a weird year. The Philadelphia Eagles, who won it all last year at Super Bowl LIX, are already out. They got bounced by the San Francisco 49ers in a 23-19 heartbreaker. So, if you were hoping for a repeat, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Here is what the immediate schedule looks like for the Divisional Round:
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- Saturday, Jan 17: Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos. This is at 4:30 PM ET on CBS. If you haven't seen Bo Nix lately, the kid is playing way above his pay grade.
- Saturday Night: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks. An NFC West bloodbath at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.
- Sunday, Jan 18: Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots. C.J. Stroud is heading to Foxborough at 3:00 PM ET.
- Sunday Night: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears. This is the "Cinderella" matchup everyone is talking about. 6:30 PM ET on NBC.
Who Play at the Super Bowl: The Statistical Favorites
If you look at the betting markets right now—and let's be real, the bookies usually know something we don't—the Seattle Seahawks are the heavy favorites at +270. They’ve been dominant. Geno Smith isn't just "not writing back" anymore; he's basically the editor-in-chief of the NFC right now.
But the AFC side is a total toss-up. You've got the Patriots back in the mix with Drake Maye looking like the real deal, sitting at +600. Then there's Josh Allen and the Bills (+650). It feels like we say "this is the Bills' year" every January, but they actually looked terrifying against Jacksonville last week.
The Chicago Bears are the wild card in every sense of the word. They were down big against Green Bay in the Wild Card round—trailing 21-6 going into the fourth—and then they just exploded for 25 points in fifteen minutes. Their odds jumped from a massive +8000 down to +1600 overnight. People love a comeback story, and Caleb Williams is delivering it.
The Venue and the Spectacle
Regardless of which two teams actually take the field, we know exactly where this is happening. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. This is the second time the Super Bowl has landed in this stadium, the first being Super Bowl 50 back when Peyton Manning was riding off into the sunset.
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The NFL is leaning hard into the "Bay Area" theme. The logo has the Golden Gate Bridge on it, and there's a lot of redwood tree imagery. It’s kinda nice, actually. Not as corporate-looking as previous years.
The "Other" Performers
Even if you don't care about the point spread or the zone-blocking schemes, you probably care about the halftime show. This year, it’s Bad Bunny.
The NFL announced this back in September, and it’s a massive deal because he’s the first Latin male artist to headline the show solo. Roger Goodell has been defending the choice to the "traditionalists," but the streaming numbers don't lie. The guy is a global juggernaut.
Also, if you're a fan of early 2010s pop, Charlie Puth is slated to do the National Anthem. It’s a very "NBC" lineup, which makes sense since they’re broadcasting the game this year. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be the ones in your ear for the four-hour broadcast.
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How the Final Matchup Gets Decided
To figure out who play at the Super bowl, we have to wait for the Conference Championships on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
- The AFC winner takes the Lamar Hunt Trophy.
- The NFC winner takes the George Halas Trophy.
- They both get a one-way ticket to California.
If I had to put money on it today? A Seahawks vs. Bills matchup looks the most likely, but the Rams are lurking. Matthew Stafford is playing like he’s 25 again, and that offense is a nightmare to gameplan for when Puka Nacua is healthy.
Practical Steps for Fans
If you're planning on being part of the 68,500 people in that stadium, you need to move fast. Here’s the reality of the situation:
- Tickets: You aren't getting these at face value. The average resale price on Ticketmaster and the NFL Ticket Exchange is currently hovering between $4,000 and $6,000. It'll probably go up once the big-market teams like Chicago or New England clinch a spot.
- Travel: Don't stay in San Francisco if you want to be near the stadium. Santa Clara is about 40 miles south. Look for hotels in San Jose or Sunnyvale unless you enjoy sitting in two hours of Bay Area traffic.
- Watching from home: The game kicks off at 6:30 PM ET (3:30 PM local time). It’ll be on NBC, but you can also stream it on Peacock or the NFL+ app.
We'll know the final two teams in just about ten days. Until then, keep an eye on the injury reports for the Broncos and Seahawks. In this league, a sprained ankle on a Wednesday can change the entire outcome of a Sunday, and suddenly the "favorite" is watching the big game from their couch just like the rest of us.