how many teams are in the nfl playoffs

There are 14 teams in the NFL playoffs under the current format.

Basic format

• The league has 32 teams total, split into the AFC and NFC.

• Each conference sends 7 teams to the postseason, for a total of 14 playoff teams.

• This 14‑team setup has been in place since the NFL expanded the playoffs starting with the 2020 season.

How those 14 spots break down

• In each conference, 4 playoff spots go to the division winners (one from each division).

• The other 3 spots in each conference are wild card berths, given to the non‑division winners with the best records.

Why this matters right now

• The current 2025–26 playoff bracket again features 14 teams chasing the Super Bowl, confirming the ongoing use of this format.

• That means every year under the modern system, “how many teams are in the NFL playoffs?” has the same answer: 14.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.