NFL playoff picture: What does Seahawks-Panthers mean for NFC standings in Week 17

One of the biggest game on the docket in Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season?

Sunday’s meeting between the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.

Both teams can wrap up their respective division titles with a win, while the Seahawks have a very narrow path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC this weekend.

Here are the implications for both teams in this game.

Seattle Seahawks playoff picture

The Seahawks have already clinched a playoff spot, and currently sit atop both the NFC and the NFC West with a 12-3 record. Seattle can clinch both the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC this weekend.

Let’s start with the division. Again, Seattle leads the division with a 12-3 record. The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams are tied with matching 11-4 records, but San Francisco’s better division record (the 49ers are 4-1 in NFC West games while the Rams are 3-2) has the 49ers in second, and the Rams in third.

The Seahawks can clinch the NFC West crown this weekend with a win over the Panthers, and then some help from their division rivals. A win over Carolina plus a 49ers loss or tie against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, and a Rams loss or tie against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, clinches the division for Seattle.

Both the Rams and the 49ers are favored in those games, with Los Angeles expected to win by a touchdown or more.

The other way Seattle can clinch the division is with a tie against the Panthers, provided the 49ers and Rams both lose their games.

As for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Seahawks have an even narrower path to clinching that spot this weekend. They would need to beat the Panthers, see the Rams lose to the Falcons, and then the 49ers would need to tie the Bears on Sunday night.

Why would the 49ers need to tie the Seahawks to make this path possible?

Because San Francisco is playing Chicago this weekend, another team that can catch the 49ers for the No. 1 seed. If the 49ers lose to the Bears, it will open the door for Chicago to take the No. 1 seed. A tie, however, blocks both Chicago and San Francisco from catching Seattle.

Carolina Panthers playoff picture

On the other side of the field, the Panthers currently lead the NFC South with an 8-7 record, one game ahead of the 7-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While those two teams meet again in Week 18 (Carolina won the first meeting between the two teams), the Panthers can clinch the division this weekend.

First, Carolina would need to win their game against the Seahawks, then they would need the Buccaneers to lose or tie against the Miami Dolphins.

Or, if the Panthers tie against the Seahawks, they would need a Buccaneers loss to the Dolphins to clinch the division.

Otherwise, this division battle goes into Week 18, and might be the Sunday Night Football game to close out the regular season.

Tiebreaker implications

Given where these two teams are in the standings, there are no tiebreaker implications between them.

NFC Standings

Here are the NFC standings ahead of Sunday’s games:

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3) – x
2. Chicago Bears (11-4) – x
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) – xy
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4) – x
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4) – x
7. Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) – x
8. Minnesota Vikings (8-8) – e
9. Detroit Lions (8-8) – e
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) – e
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
12. Atlanta Falcons (6-9) – e
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10) – e
14. Washington Commanders (4-12) – e
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-12) – e
16. New York Giants (2-13) – e

x – Team has clinched a playoff spot
y – Team has clinched their division title
e – Team has been eliminated from playoff contention

NFC South standings

Here are the full NFC South standings:

1. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
3. Atlanta Falcons (6-9) – e
4. New Orleans Saints (5-10) – e

NFC West standings

Here are the NFC West standings entering Week 17:

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3) – x
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-4) – x
3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4) – x
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-12) – e

As noted above, the 49ers currently hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Rams thanks to a better record in NFC West games. San Francisco is 4-1 in those games (with Seattle on their schedule in Week 18) while the Rams are 3-2, with the Cardinals left to play in Week 18. Those teams have split the season series.