The Green Bay Packers entered the season with Super Bowl expectations after acquiring Micah Parsons. After Parsons suffered a season-ending ACL tear, are those expectations still realistic?
As long as the Packers are a playoff team, they are going to hold out hope of a deep run. That’s what they are, as Green Bay has already clinched a spot in the field and knows it will be playing beyond Week 18.
After some tough losses, including back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens, the Packers are hoping both sides of the ball can overcome injuries and play their best football in January.
Here’s a look at the Packers’ playoff outlook as the regular season comes to an end.
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NFL playoff bracket 2026
Here's a look at the current potential initial matchups for this year's playoffs:
Packers playoff picture
The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC regardless of whether they win or lose in Week 18. Here's the full playoff picture in the NFC:
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks* | 14-3 |
| 2 | Chicago Bears* | 11-5 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles* | 11-5 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers* | 12-5 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams* | 11-5 |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers* | 9-6-1 |
| 8 | Minnesota Vikings - eliminated | 8-8 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions - eliminated | 8-8 |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys - eliminated | 7-8-1 |
| 11 | Carolina Panthers | 8-9 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons - eliminated | 7-9 |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints - eliminated | 6-10 |
| 14 | Washington Commanders - eliminated | 4-12 |
| 15 | Arizona Cardinals - eliminated | 3-13 |
| 16 | New York Giants - eliminated | 3-13 |
*=clinched playoff spot
With Green Bay headed for the No. 7 seed for the third consecutive year, there are two potential matchups in the wild-card round: the Bears or Philadelphia Eagles.
A Bears win or Eagles loss on Sunday would guarantee a third matchup between the Packers and Bears, while a trip to Philadelphia would be on tap if the Eagles won and Bears lost. The Packers lost to the Eagles on the road as the No. 7 seed last season in a game that marked the start of a championship run for Philadelphia.
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NFC North standings
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Chicago Bears | 11-5 |
| 2 | Green Bay Packers | 9-6-1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings - eliminated | 8-8 |
| 4 | Detroit Lions - eliminated | 8-8 |
The Packers saw the NFC North officially slip away in Week 17, as their loss to the Ravens allowed the Bears to clinch the division for the first time since 2018.
Green Bay will finish second in the division and hasn't won the NFC North since 2021.
Packers clinching scenarios
Fortunately for Packers fans, there isn't much math to worry about in Week 18. Win or lose against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay is locked into the No. 7 seed and knows it will play the No. 2 seed on the road in the wild-card round.
If the Bears win or the Eagles lose, the Packers will play in Chicago. If the Eagles win and the Bears lose, the Packers are headed back to Philadelphia for the second consecutive year.