Projecting who top-seeded Seahawks will face in Divisional Round of playoffs

Even as the Seattle Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed on Saturday night with a 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers, a lot remains up in the air on the NFC playoff landscape.

The Seahawks and Green Bay Packers (No. 7 seed) are the only two teams that have their playoff positioning finalized. The other five spots, which still have six teams contending for them, are very much still in play.

Seattle's NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and 49ers, will either be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed, respectively. A Rams win against the Arizona Cardinals gives them the higher of the two, while a loss puts San Francisco in that slot.

It's possible, however, that the Seahawks see one of their NFC West foes once again in the Divisional Round. Here's a projection of how things could shake out.

Projecting Seahawks' Divisional Round opponent

The Seahawks can't meet the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles or Packers in the Divisional Round. They can host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Rams or 49ers.

The Rams will likely beat the Cardinals, especially since they will play their starters in Week 18. Arizona hasn't won a game since Nov. 3 in another lost season for the Cardinals.

Final NFC seeding scenarios via @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8HoX6lxrfn
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2026

That puts Los Angeles as the No. 5 seed and a potential Divisional Round opponent. The 49ers fall to the other side of the bracket.

It then falls on the result of the New Orleans vs. Atlanta game in Week 18, which will decide the NFC South title. Both teams are surprisingly hot despite being eliminated from playoff contention, and the Falcons pull out a big win to close out the season — sending the Panthers to the playoffs.

NFC Wild Card: No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 4 Carolina Panthers

Even though they're on the road, the Rams pull out a win over the Panthers to set a rematch with the Seahawks in the Divisional Round.

The Panthers have lost four of their last six, including two in a row. They aren't exactly coasting into the playoffs, especially since they need another team to decide their fate.

NFC Divisional Round: No. 1 Seattle Seahawks vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Rams

That's a blessing and a curse for the Seahawks, who lost by two points to the Rams on a missed game-winning field goal in Week 11 and beat them by one point in overtime in Week 16. It's been one of the closest matchups Seattle has seen all season.

Los Angeles lost again in Week 17 with a 27-24 defeat at the hands of the Falcons. So, while the Seahawks seem to be getting better while the Rams are getting worse, that won't matter when elimination is on the line between bitter rivals.

Projecting Seahawks' Divisional Round opponent

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