Who will Panthers play in NFL playoffs? Scenarios, potential wild card matchups
Jacob CamenkerThe Carolina Panthers weren't able to clinch a playoff berth by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. However, they still managed to get into the playoffs after the Atlanta Falcons earned a 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons' win created a three-way tie atop the NFC South. That allowed the Panthers to advance to the postseason, as their 3-1 combined record against the Buccaneers and Falcons was the best of the bunch.
It also allowed the Panthers to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015, when they went 15-1 under Ron Rivera. Carolina made it to Super Bowl 50 that season, which it lost 24-10 to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Getting to the playoffs is a nice, feather-in-the-cap moment for second-year coach Dave Canales. He has engineered a rapid turnaround in Carolina, helping quarterback Bryce Young make strides across their two seasons together while rebuilding the team's defense into a solid force.
Who will the Panthers face in the playoffs now that they've wrapped up the NFC South title? Below is a breakdown of the team's playoff scenarios and potential wild-card opponents.
Who will Panthers play in playoffs?
The Panthers made it into the playoffs as the NFC's No. 4 seed. That guarantees the team will play the top wild-card team – which will be the second-place finisher in the NFC West – should they make it into the postseason.
That will be one of the following teams:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Rams
The Panthers will play against the 49ers if the Rams lose or tie their Week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals. If Los Angeles wins, Carolina will face off against Sean McVay's squad in a rematch of a Week 13 game the Panthers won 31-28.
NFC playoff bracket 2025
Below is a look at the current projected NFC playoff bracket as Week 18 unfolds:
- No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (BYE)
- No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers
- No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Rams
- No. 4 Carolina Panthers vs. No. 5 San Francisco 49ers
The Seahawks and Packers were the only teams that entered play Sunday having locked up their seeds. The Panthers became the third to clinch a specific seed after the Falcons' win over the Saints.
NFL playoff schedule
The NFL playoffs will kick off on Jan. 10 with the league's first two wild-card matchups before concluding on Feb. 8 with Super Bowl 60 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Wild card weekend
All times Eastern
Saturday, Jan. 10
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 11
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
- AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 17
- AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
- AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18
- AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.
- AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.
NFL conference championship round
Sunday, Jan. 25
- AFC championship game: 3 p.m.
- NFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.
Super Bowl 60
- Date: Feb. 8, 2026
- Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- TV: NBC
NFL playoff picture Week 18
AFC
- Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
- New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*
- Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4, AFC South winners)*
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
- Houston Texans (12-5, wild card No. 1)*
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
- Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
NFC
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)*
- Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*
- Carolina Panthers (8-9, NFC South winners)*
- San Francisco 49ers (12-4, wild card No. 1)*
- Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
- Green Bay Packers (9-7-1, wild card No. 3)*
An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.