Super Bowl contenders at a crossroads: Will Rams, Seahawks and Eagles all miss NFL playoffs? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles were the consensus top three teams in the NFC going into the 2026 NFL season based on preseason Super Bowl odds. But after Week 6, all three teams have a record of .500 or worse, well short of the top seed in the standings.
If the NFC playoffs started now, the conference's past three Super Bowl champions (56, 59, 60) all would not make it. The Rams (2-4) are in last place in the NFC West, four games and a tiebreaker behind the 49ers (6-0). The Seahawks (3-3) are three games and a tiebreaker out of first place. The Eagles (2-4), in second place in the NFC East, have been decimated by injuries to the point that they are longshots to win the division for a third consecutive season.
This is what the NFC playoff picture looks like going into Week 7:
- San Francisco 49ers (6-0
- Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
- Carolina Panthers (3-2)
- New York Giants (3-2-1)
- Green Bay Packers (4-2)
- Chicago Bears (4-2)
- Detroit Lions (4-2)
The Seahawks are a game behind the Lions at No. 8. The Eagles are No. 11 and the Rams are all the way down at No. 14 in the conference. Will that still be the case come the final NFC standings in 10-plus weeks?
Here's breaking down each team's current odds to make the playoffs on Bet365 and whether they can overcome them in the second half of the 2026 season:
MORE:SN's latest NFL power rankings for Week 7
Los Angeles Rams (+100 to make the playoffs)
Remaining schedule strength: 25th (.469)
The Rams' schedule was front-loaded given their status as heavy favorites to win Super Bowl 61 on their home field in Los Angeles. Starting with the Raiders in Las Vegas in Week 7, the Rams have six games against teams are currently either below or at .500
The rub is, the Rams are 2-4 and just lost to the 2-4 Cardinals at home, so nothing will be "easy" given their current inconsistent, injury-riddled state. They also have a game left at 6-0 San Francisco and home games that will be full of visiting fans vs. Green Bay and Kansas City. The Rams getting to nine wins won't cut it to qualify for the playoffs. It also will be very difficult to get to 10-7, which likely also won't be good enough with all the teams ahead of them in the NFC standings.
The Rams have been playing without Myles Garrett on the defense. Cornerback Trent McDuffie is dealing with the latest key injury. The offense will be without wide receiver Davante Adams for about three months. Everything about a dream season has become a nightmare, including coaching and the execution on the field.
Updated prediction: Rams miss the playoffs
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Seattle Seahawks (-170 to make the playoffs)
Remaining schedule strength: 8th (.539)
The Seahawks and Rams could also hurt each other with their home-and-home series yet to be played in 2026. The Seahawks also play the Eagles, whom the Rams beat in Week 5. Seattle gets Arizona and San Francisco one more time each after going 1-1 in the first two such division games.
Other than the Rams twice, Cardinals and Eagles, the only other current under-.500 team the Seahawks face are the Cowboys, at home on Monday night on Dec. 7. The Seahawks will face the Raiders, Panthers and Giants in winnable games. Playing at the 49ers and vs. the Bears are the hardest games outside of the division after Week 6 vs. the 5-0 Chiefs.
The Seahawks also have a difficult path to finish above. 500 with 10 wins being tough. The problem is their defense hasn't been as dominant, Sam Darnold is struggling and the running game still needs to be stabilized.
For Seattle to make the playoffs, it will need to finish ahead of the Rams and for one of the NFC North teams to struggle and fade. It's getting pretty clear the NFC East and NFC South won't have playoff teams beyond the two division winners.
Based on remaining schedule strength, between the Bears, Lions and Packers, one team is bound to slide out of playoff position to help the Seahawks move into the top seven to make the playoffs as a wild-card. There's some truth to the Super Bowl 60-winning hangover, but this team is too talented to sit out the postseason.
Updated prediction: Seahawks make the playoffs
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Philadelphia Eagles (+475 to make the playoffs)
Remaining schedule strength: 24th (.477)
The Eagles are in second place in the weak NFC East despite the 2-4 record. When factoring in the tie for the 3-2-1 first-place Giants, the Eagles are 1.5 games behind, tied with the 2-4 Cowboys, whom they host as underdogs on Monday night. The Eagles are also a half-game up on the 1-3-1 last-place Commanders.
The Giants are hoping to maintain their lead with J.J. McCarthy taking over as the fill-in for injured Jaxson Dart. The Cowboys' defense remains e a major liability in every game. The Commanders have become a coaching mess under Dan Quinn.
If the Eagles still had a healthy Jalen Hurts, they would be a no-brainer to win the division and make the playoffs as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. Given their defense, Nick Sirianni's coaching track record and a healthier Saquon Barkley ready to return to help Tanner McKenee, they have enough to still take the East. Much of it lies on Philadelphia going at least 5-1 in the division after already beating Washington in Week 1.
Even with an offense that's missing Hurts, the Eagles have only two seemingly "no chance" games outside of the division, against the 49ers and Seahawks. They will have a real chance of beating the Steelers, Texans, Colts and Cardinals.
The Rams and Seahawks don't have the same playoff path with the 49ers capable of putting the NFC West out of reach by Week 11. The Eagles, meanwhile, can feel good about nine wins being enough to make the playoffs. To finish 9-8, Philadelphia must go just 7-4, a fair possibility given their weak slate.
Besides, does anyone really trust the Cowboys, Giants or Commanders to get the job done instead of the Eagles?
Updated prediction: Eagles make the playoffs
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