How many teams make the NFL playoffs?

More and more teams qualify for the NFL playoffs each season now than ever before.

While it is still a big deal to make the postseason, there has been an increase in recent years to how many teams qualify for the NFL playoffs each January. It is not as exclusive as it used to be.

Don’t worry. We still only have 32 franchises, none of which are headquartered overseas just yet. League commissioner Roger Goodell may want to change that before he is done doing his thing, but I kind of like having eight divisions of four domestically, but that is just me. Regardless, I do think having more teams in the mix for a playoff berth later and later into the year is a good thing.

How many teams make the postseason each year? How many teams get in from each conference?

NFL playoffs: How many teams can qualify for the playoffs each postseason?

Since playoff expansion was implemented only a few years ago, we now get 14 teams into the mix each January. Each conference has seven postseason berths to give out, one for each of the four division winners, plus three additional wild card berths handed out to the three teams with the best records in said conference that did not win its division. Top seeds in both get first-round byes.

It has placed an increased importance on getting home-field advantage. Not that long ago, the top-two seeds in each league got first-round byes into the divisional round. Now, it is just the top team in each conference. Eventually, a No. 7 seed will defeat a No. 2 seed on the road during Super Wild Card Weekend, but that still hasn’t happened. Of course, there will be a No. 8 seed team soon.

Don’t lie to yourself. You know this is inevitably happening. Half of the league’s teams will be heading to the postseason sooner rather than later. We should also anticipate for the regular-season slate to be expanded from 17 games to 18. Of course, this will require a second bye week for all 32 franchises, but that is probably not going to happen until the new CBA is hashed out.

For now, we can enjoy seeing 14 teams, seven in each conference, take part in the NFL playoffs.