The Pittsburgh Steelers are not out of the playoffs if they lose now, because they have already clinched the AFC North title and a playoff spot for the 2025–26 season.

What already happened

  • The Steelers finished the regular season 10–7 and secured the AFC North championship.
  • As AFC North champions, they are locked into the postseason field and will host a wild-card game.

So, if they lose…

  • Any “if Steelers lose are they out of playoffs” talk applied to earlier Week 18 scenarios, when the division was still up for grabs vs. the Ravens.
  • With the division now clinched, a loss in a hypothetical additional game would not knock them out of the playoffs; only a playoff loss will end their season.

Current playoff situation

  • Steelers are slotted as the AFC’s No. 4 seed as division champs.
  • They are scheduled to host the Houston Texans on wild-card weekend at Acrisure Stadium.

In short: the “win-or-go-home” drama already ended in their favor — now it’s about how far this playoff run can go.

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