As of mid-December in the 2025 NFL regular season, a significant group of teams has already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. These are the teams that can no longer qualify for the postseason based on current records and tiebreakers.
Fully eliminated teams
Current reports list the following franchises as out of the playoff race:
- New York Giants
- Arizona Cardinals
- New Orleans Saints
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Jets
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- Atlanta Falcons
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Minnesota Vikings
These teams have been identified as mathematically eliminated based on league standings and playoff-picture tracking, meaning even winning all remaining games would not be enough to reach a postseason berth under current scenarios.
Context and timing
The situation described reflects the playoff picture after Week 15 of the 2025 season, and additional teams can still be eliminated over the remaining weeks. Standings update in real time as games are played, so checking the latest playoff standings or an updated playoff-picture tracker will give the most current list if you are viewing this later in the season.