How Many Wild-Card Teams Are There In NFL?
Emma Valentine
Published Apr 10, 2026
The NFL had added two non-division-winning team from each conference to even out the brackets and to make the competition more intense and dramatic. Post that, the term “wild cards” quickly started spreading to describe these two teams.
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It didn’t take the NFL long to see this format’s potential. The regular season was more interesting because there were chances of more teams going in the playoffs. More playoff games meant more games to sell tickets to and more games to watch on TV.
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The division champion from each conference with the best regular-season record receives a bye and an automatic berth in the second, or divisional round of the playoffs.
After The Addition Of Houston Texans In 2002, NFL Went Back To Two Wild Cards Per Conference
The NFL now has 6 Wild Card teams, with 3 teams coming from each conference. Three wild card teams and four division champions are sent to each of the two conference postseasons. The “wild card Round” is the name given to the first round of the playoffs.
The NFL increased the number of games in the regular season to the current 16 in 1978, and the playoffs followed suit. Back then, there were two wild-card spots available in each conference, the postseason schedule was extended by one week to make room for the first Wild Card Round.
In 1990, the NFL expanded its playoff field to 12 teams by adding a third wild-card spot to each conference. However, after the addition of the Houston Texans in 2002, the league again went back to two wild cards per conference.
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However, since 2020, the league again decided to have three wild cards from both conferences which is currently the norm. Without a doubt, the league has surely played around with the Wild Card bit over the years.
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