The 2026 NFL playoffs continue this weekend with the divisional round. The San Francisco 49ers will go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Jan. 17 with the winner advancing to the NFC Championship Game.
The Seahawks came into the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. This gave them a bye for the wild card round so this will be Seattle's first game since Week 18, where the Seahawks beat the 49ers. San Francisco earned the No. 6 seed. The 49ers went on the road last weekend and upset the No. 3 seed Philadelphia Eagles to advance to this matchup.
The Seahawks and Niners will be the NFC's first divisional round game. The winner will have to wait until Sunday night to learn who they will be playing in the NFC Championship Game.
Here is more on who the 49ers or Seahawks could play next in the 2026 NFL playoffs.
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
- Full NFL playoff schedule
- NFL divisional round picks, predictions
- Updated NFL playoff bracket
- Ranking eight teams remaining in 2026 NFL playoffs
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Who do the 49ers or Seahawks play next?
The winner of the 49ers-Seahawks matchup will advance to the NFC Championship game. The only opponent that they could face is the winner of the Los Angeles Rams-Chicago Bears game.
If Seattle wins, they will host whichever team wins between the Rams and the Bears. If San Francisco wins, they will go on the road to face whichever team wins between the Rams and the Bears.
No. 2 Bears
Head coach Ben Johnson has turned around the Bears in just one season at the helm. He has helped quarterback Caleb Williams take a step forward and has gotten the defense to play to its potential. In just his first season in Chicago, the Bears tallied an 11-6 record and won the NFC North. Williams got close to becoming Chicago's first-ever 4,000-yard passer, but he finished his impressive second season with 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns.
In the wild card round, the Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers. It was the third time the divisional opponents had played each other this season. They split the regular season series, and it was the Bears who won the most important game of the three to stay alive in the playoffs. Chicago held on for the 31-27 win over Green Bay.
No. 5 Rams
Los Angeles narrowly missed out on the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but landed with the No. 5 seed. Many analysts actually said this was the best-case scenario for a wild card team because the No. 5 seed would get to go on the road to take on the Carolina Panthers, who squeaked into the playoffs with a losing record.
The Panthers gave the Rams a scare. Los Angeles scored the game-winning touchdown with just 38 seconds left in the game, barely escaping an upset loss to Carolina. Regardless, a win is a win in the playoffs, and the Rams will now go on the road to face the Bears in the Divisional Round.
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NFL playoff bracket 2026
