How many teams make the NFL playoffs?

Only a handful of teams qualify for the NFL playoffs each postseason, so getting in is a big deal.

With the NFL only having recently expanded its postseason offering, let’s take a look at how many teams make the playoffs each season.

For now, there are 32 teams in the league, all of which are domestically based. Commissioner Roger Goodell has pushed so incredibly hard to increase the league’s brand internationally, but the logistics don’t really make sense to have teams based in Europe, of all places. However, playoff expansion was a way to increase the slice of the pie for owners, the people who Goodell works for.

So how many teams make the playoffs in each NFL postseason? It’s not quite half, but 14 will do.

NFL postseason format: How many teams make the playoffs annually?

So yes, it is 14 teams in total, seven in each conference. You have the four division winners in each conference, plus three wild card teams. The three wild card teams in each conference have the best records of any teams that did not win their division. The four division winners in each conference are seeded No. 1-4 based on record, with the wild card teams being seeded No. 5-7.

The three big prevailing issues with the playoffs expanding from 12 to 14 teams a few years ago are as follows. One, the No. 7 seeds don’t really match up favorably with No. 2 seeds at all, who previously had a first-round by in the previous format. Two, it feels like it is only a matter of time before we kick this out to 16 teams. And three, what happens to a team if it wins a bad division?

Eventually, a No. 7 seed will beat a No. 2 seed. And yes, at some point there will be half of the league making the postseason. It feels like that is only a matter of time. However, the bad division component may need to be rectified. Should they get in with a bad record? Oh, absolutely! Winning a division is a big deal. Then again, maybe sub-.500 teams should not host home playoff games?

Anyway, 14 teams make the playoffs each season, eight as division winners and six as wild cards.