The Seattle Seahawks now know their next playoff opponent: they’ll host the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field in the NFC divisional round after the final wild-card result locked in the bracket.
Key details (quick read)
- Seahawks are the NFC’s No. 1 seed and will host the lowest-seeded team to advance.
- San Francisco entered as the No. 6 seed, meaning a win put the 49ers on a collision course with Seattle.
- The NFL’s date/time for the game was still to be determined as the matchup came into focus.
Seahawks Set to Host 49ers as Bracket Finalizes
This is the exact scenario Seattle was waiting on: because the Seahawks are the No. 1 seed, they’re automatically slotted to face the lowest remaining seed coming out of wild-card weekend.
The Rams advanced Saturday as the No. 5 seed, but a 49ers win as the No. 6 meant San Francisco becomes Seattle’s divisional-round opponent at Lumen Field.
Seattle has seen plenty of San Francisco lately, including the regular-season finale that ultimately helped the Seahawks secure home-field advantage. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 13-3 in Week 18 to clinch the NFC West title and the conference’s top seed.
What It Means for Seattle Heading Into Next Weekend
From a “pressure” standpoint, it doesn’t get much bigger: Seattle’s reward for earning the No. 1 seed is a home game — but it’s against a division rival that knows the Seahawks inside and out.
The good news for Seattle is the macro setup remains exactly what you want in January: a bye week, a home crowd, and a clear path that starts at Lumen Field. Seahawks.com noted it will be Seattle’s first home playoff game with fans in the stadium since the 2016 season (their 2020 home wild-card game was played without fans in the building).
There’s also real recent context between these teams. Seattle and San Francisco split their season series, with the Seahawks dropping the Week 1 meeting before closing the regular season with that Week 18 win, part of a seven-game winning streak that powered the Seahawks to the division crown.
And while divisional matchups are always tricky, this particular San Francisco group may arrive in Seattle banged up. Tight end George Kittle left the 49ers’ wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an Achilles injury and was ruled out.
The Simple Checklist: What to Watch in Seahawks vs. 49ers
If you’re looking for the quick way to frame it, start here:
- Seattle’s formula: win the line of scrimmage and keep the game on schedule, the same identity that showed up in their 13-3 win over San Francisco to close the season.
- San Francisco’s adjustment: how the 49ers reshape the offense if Kittle can’t go next week (or is limited).
- Home-field advantage: Lumen Field will finally get the “true” playoff atmosphere again after the empty-stadium postseason of 2020.
Seattle has been here before as the No. 1 seed, too, and Seahawks.com noted the franchise has reached the Super Bowl in each of the three previous seasons it earned that top spot. Could one of these two teams be a Super Bowl team? That question could begin to be answered next weekend.
Seahawks Playoffs Opponent Revealed