All scenarios Seahawks can clinch No. 1 seed, NFC West in Week 17

With two weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL regular season, the NFC playoff picture is shaping up to be a race to the very end.

The Seahawks (12-3) currently hold the position for the No. 1 seed, but they have the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers all at 11-4 and hot on their heels.

Seattle has a critical Week 17 game upcoming against the Carolina Panthers (8-7) before finishing their season against the 49ers on the road. Winning out is the simple formula, but it could get more complicated than that.

Before Week 17 kicks off, here are all the existing playoff scenarios for the Seahawks, who are already in the postseason at the very least.

Seahawks' path to clinching No. 1 seed, NFC West in Week 17

According to Seahawks PR, the team clinches the No. 1 seed if the following happens.

- Seahawks beat Panthers

- Rams lose or tie vs. Falcons

- 49ers tie with Bears

This is highly unlikely, of course, as it counts on a tie between San Francisco and Chicago. This is because either the 49ers or Bears would keep pace to contend for the No. 1 seed if they win. But there's more hope on the divisional side of things.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) celebrates after making a catch for a game-winning two-point conversion against the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The Seahawks can clinch the NFC West title in Week 17 if the following happens.

- Seahawks beat Panthers

- Rams lose or tie vs. Falcons

- 49ers lose or tie vs. Bears

- Seahawks tie with Panthers

- Rams lose to Falcons

- 49ers lose to Bears

Clinching the division would still be huge for Seattle, ensuring they finish higher in playoff seeding than the Rams and 49ers. It wouldn't make their Week 18 game any less important, though, as that would mean the Bears are still in contention for the top seed.

Like the last three seasons, the Seahawks' playoff destiny is coming down to the final two weeks of the season. This time, they at least have the peace of mind that they'll be in the playoffs regardless. But a first-round bye probably sounds pretty good after a long 18-game regular season.

Seahawks' path to clinching No. 1 seed, NFC West in Week 17

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