Eagles player raising arms with confetti swirling around him at victory celebration atop the 50‑yard line in golden sunset.

Eagles Clinch NFC East, Eye No. 3 Seed as Playoffs Loom

On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles secured their postseason berth by defeating the Washington Commanders, clinching the NFC East title.

Current Seed Landscape

If the playoffs began today, the Eagles would be the No. 3 seed and host the No. 6-seeded 49ers in the wild-card round. The NFL.com playoff probabilities now rank the teams as follows:

  • 1. Seahawks (12-3)
  • 2. Bears (11-4)
  • 3. Eagles (10-5)
  • 4. Panthers (8-7) – playoff probability 42%
  • 5. Rams (11-4)
  • 6. 49ers (10-4)
  • 7. Packers (9-5-1) – playoff probability 92%

The asterisks denote teams that have clinched a playoff berth, while the hash marks indicate those that have clinched their division. Entering Monday, the Eagles remain eligible for any of the first four NFC seeds, though a loss by the 49ers to the Colts on Monday Night Football would eliminate them from the No. 1 spot.

The Athletic’s Updated Odds

According to The Athletic’s model, the Eagles’ chances of landing each seed are:

  • 1-seed: Less than 1%
  • 2-seed: 13%
  • 3-seed: 86%
  • 4-seed: Less than 1%

A victory over the Bills in Week 17 would lift their probability of securing the No. 2 seed to 26%, and a win-out would raise it to 34%. However, the team would still need external help to climb higher.

Week 17 Scenarios

The most realistic path to a No. 2 seed involves the Eagles winning both remaining games-at Buffalo and against Washington-while the Bears lose their last two matchups, at San Francisco and versus Detroit. This combination would close the season with the Eagles holding a superior record and the Bears falling behind.

Twitter Update on Week 16

A tweet from Deniz Selman on December 21, 2025, summarized the remaining Week 16 possibilities:

Split-screen comparing Eagles seed line with logo and 3rd place spot and bracket model of playoff scenarios with odds percent

> Eagles… clinch at least NFC #3 seed with: CAR loss/tie (TB, sun 1pm)…have no more chance at #1 seed with: SF win (@ IND, mnf)

This update underscored that the Eagles could secure the third seed but would be out of the race for the top spot if the 49ers win their Monday game.

Coach Nick Sirianni on Player Management

When asked on Saturday evening whether the team would continue to play its starters as long as seeding benefits remained, Coach Nick Sirianni replied:

> “We’ll see. We’ll see what we do as we move forward,” Sirianni said. “We’ll look at everything. We’ll do what’s best for the football team as we continue on. I think it’s important that we go continue to improve on this performance.”

Sirianni’s comments suggest that the question of resting starters will likely be postponed until Week 18, as the Eagles have not yet secured the third seed.

Super Bowl LX Odds

FanDuel’s current odds for Super Bowl LX place the Eagles as the third-shortest-priced contender:

  • Rams: +440
  • Seahawks: +600
  • Eagles: +850
  • Broncos: +900
  • Bills: +900
  • Patriots: +950
  • Packers: +1300
  • Texans: +1300
  • Jaguars: +1400
  • 49ers: +1700
  • Bears: +1800
  • Chargers: +2200
  • Steelers: +4000
  • Buccaneers: +4500

These numbers reflect the market’s perception of each team’s likelihood of winning the championship.

Key Takeaways

  • The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are poised for a No. 3 seed.
  • Their playoff odds improve with a Week 17 win, but external results remain critical.
  • Coach Sirianni signals that player rest decisions will wait until later in the season.

The Eagles’ journey to the postseason is firmly underway, but the final stretch will test both their on-field performance and the broader playoff landscape.

Author

  • Sarah L. Montgomery

    I’m Sarah L. Montgomery, a political and government affairs journalist with a strong focus on public policy, elections, and institutional accountability. Based in Philadelphia, I spend my days tracking how political decisions—from City Hall to Capitol Hill—shape the daily lives of residents across Pennsylvania and beyond.

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