2026 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Well, after two weeks of an “offseason,” the 2026 NFL season kicks off (pun intended) at the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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THE 2026 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

The NFL Scouting Combine will be held February 23 – March 2, 2026 on Lucas Oil Stadium’s playing field, and in the stadium's suites for private, formal, 18-minute interviews. Informal, 15-minute interviews also take place in a designated lounge area within the stadium, where teams have tables to meet with prospects.

Over three hundred of the very best college football players are invited to participate in the Combine. top executives, coaching staffs, player personnel departments and medical staff from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate the nation’s top college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft. This intense, four-day job interview is an exciting time for the athletes and a vital step in achieving their dreams of playing in the NFL.

• For this year's annual event, the league invited 319 players in total. The most players invited from one school is Texas A&M with 13. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) will be the highest represented conference at the Combine with 115 players invited.

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CORE COMBINE DRILLS

Prospects will be evaluated through the following drills:

• 40-Yard Dash: Measures acceleration, speed, and explosion, with 10-yard splits often analyzed for "first-step" quickness.

• Bench Press: Evaluates strength and endurance by requiring players to lift 225 pounds as many times as possible.

• Vertical Jump: Measures lower-body, explosive power.

• Broad Jump: Tests lower-body, horizontal power.

• Three-Cone Drill: Assesses agility, fluid change of direction, and speed, particularly for defensive linemen and wide receivers.

• 20-Yard Shuttle (5-10-5): Tests lateral quickness, agility, and acceleration.

POSITION-SPECIFIC DRILLS

• Wide Receivers/Tight Ends/Running Backs: Gauntlet drill (running across the field catching passes), route running, and catching passes from quarterbacks.

• Offensive Linemen: Mirror-dodge (agility), "wave" drills, and punch drills to evaluate footwork, hand placement, and hip mobility.

• Defensive Linemen/Linebackers: "Running the hoop" (flexibility/bend), linebacker coverage drills, and pass-rush moves.

• Defensive Backs: Backpedaling, fluid hips, and catching drills to simulate coverage.

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COMBINE LIVE DRILLS SCHEDULE

Live coverage will be aired on NFL Network

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 (PK, DL, LB)
Combine Experience: Gates Open 1:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Inside Look: Gates Open 1:00pm – 8:30pm ET
Drills Begin: 3:00pm ET

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 (TE, DB)
Combine Experience: Gates Open 1:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Inside Look: Gates Open 1:00pm – 9:00pm ET
Drills Begin: 3:00pm ET

SATURDAY, FEBRUARUY 28 (QB, WR, RB)
Combine Experience: Gates Open 11:00am – 7:00pm ET
Inside Look: Gates Open 11:00am – 8:30pm ET
Drills Begin: 1:00pm ET

SUNDAY, MARCH 1 (OL)
Combine Experience: Gates Open 11:00am – 4:00pm ET
Inside Look: Gates Open 11:00am – 4:30pm ET
Drills Begin: 1:00pm ET

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NFL SCOUTING COMBINE HISTORY

National Invitational Camp (NIC), more commonly known as the NFL Scouting Combine, began in 1982 when National Football Scouting, Inc. first conducted a camp for its member NFL clubs in Tampa, Florida. The key purpose then, same as it is today, was to ascertain medical information on the top draft eligible prospects in college football. The inaugural NIC was attended by a total of 163 players and established a foundation for future expansion.

During the first three years, two additional camps were held at different times to collect similar information for teams that did not belong to National Football Scouting. However, in 1985 all 28 NFL teams decided they would participate in future National Invitational Camps with the goal of sharing costs for the medical examinations of draft eligible players. After brief stints in New Orleans (1984, 1986) and Arizona (1985) the camp was moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where it has been operated since 1987.

As football and the art of evaluating players has evolved, so has the NFL Scouting Combine. While medical examinations remain the number one priority of the event, athletes will also participate in a variety of psychological and physical tests, as well as formal and informal interviews with top executives, coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams. NIC is the ultimate four-day job interview for the top college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Who is eligible to be invited to the NFL Combine?

• All college seniors are eligible for the NFL Combine immediately following their final year of collegiate eligibility.

• Any underclassmen who declare for the NFL draft and satisfy all NCAA and NFL requirements are eligible to participate.

• Additionally, an athlete who is not playing collegiate football may qualify under a special circumstance in the year that correlates to his natural draft year had he been playing college football. He must first contact the Player Personnel Department at the NFL Office in New York (212-450-2000) to verify eligibility for the upcoming NFL Draft.

How are players selected for the NFL Combine?

All 32 NFL teams are invited to participate in selecting the draft-eligible prospects to participate in the annual NFL Scouting Combine. National Football Scouting and BLESTO scouting are also invited to provide input. ALL eligible players are reviewed and voted on by the participating teams/scouting organizations and each prospect receiving the necessary number of votes, by position, is then extended an invitation. National Football Scouting manages the selection process and works with all NFL team scouting departments to finalize the annual roster. The evaluation process is subjective and therefore not a perfect science, but the goal of the Combine and the NFL teams is to invite every draft-eligible prospect who will be drafted in the ensuing NFL Draft.

• What players are told to bring

“Workout gear will be provided, but you must bring your own running shoes. Due to the cold climate, we suggest you bring a sweatsuit, warm jacket, gloves and hat.”

“Additionally, you will spend periods of time waiting for examinations and between events, so we recommend bringing mobile devices, iPads, or books to occupy your downtime.”

• How many players are invited to attend the NFL Scouting Combine?

The number of athletes per position varies from year-to-year depending on the available talent. However, they are able to accommodate and process up to 335 total athletes each year.

• Can a player not invited to attend the NFL Scouting Combine still be drafted?

Yes. Many players who enjoy successful careers in the NFL did not attend the NFL Combine.

• If a player is not selected to attend, what can they do?

Once the selections have been made and the participant list is finalized, any athlete who is not invited should begin training for his pro day at his University. An athlete’s performance in college games is the basis for all player evaluations, and NFL personnel will be able to further evaluate your speed and skills at their pro day.

2025 Commemorative Tickets

The 2025 Commemorative Tickets arrived this week. Since the team went to electronic tickets, they send these out after the season (to those who request them), and the score of each game is printed on each one.

Super Bowl LX

Seahawks, Patriots set to meet in Super Bowl 60

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New England (17-3) at Seattle (16-3)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EST, NBC.

Series record: Seahawks lead 11-9

Last meeting: Seattle beat New England 23-20 in overtime on Sept. 15, 2024.

Last game: The Seahawks beat the Rams 31-27 in the NFC championship game. New England beat Denver 10-7 in the AFC championship game.

Patriots offense: overall (3), rush (6), pass (4), scoring (2).

Patriots defense: overall (8), rush (5), pass (9), scoring (4).

Seahawks offense: overall (T-7), rush (T-10), pass (8), scoring (5).

Seahawks defense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (1).

Turnover differential: Patriots plus-3; Seahawks minus-3.

Patriots player to watch

QB Drake Maye. In his second season, Maye has thrived working for the first time with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Maye is the fourth quarterback since 2000 to win each of his first three career playoff starts, joining Tom Brady (won first 10), Joe Burrow (three) and Jake Delhomme (three). Maye is also the first quarterback in history to win three games against top five defenses in a single playoffs — the Chargers (No. 5), Texans (No. 1) and Broncos (No. 2).

Seahawks player to watch

RB Kenneth Walker III. The fourth-year running back has been on a roll since Zach Charbonnet was injured. In the playoffs, Walker has averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and has 256 yards of total offense with four touchdowns rushing. Walker will have to work for his yards against New England’s run defense, but he’s been able to rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

Key matchup

QB Sam Darnold against the Patriots secondary. While Darnold has played through an oblique injury the past two games, he impressed during the win against the Rams. Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns in the NFC title game. He will have his work cut out against a Patriots defense that allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards per game in the regular season, as well as the fourth-fewest points per game.

Key injuries

Seahawks: Left tackle Charles Cross, who has been limited because of multiple injuries since mid-December, was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. Darnold was limited because of his oblique injury. Safety Nick Emmanwori, who broke up three passes in the NFC championship game, injured his ankle during Wednesday’s practice. Emmanwori said Thursday that he expects to play in the game. He was a full participant on Friday. FB Robbie Ouzts is listed as questionable for the game.

Patriots: After being limited in one practice with a right shoulder issue during the Super Bowl bye week, Maye returned to full participation on Wednesday… LB Robert Spillane, who injured his ankle in the AFC championship game, is questionable along with DL Joshua Farmer (hamstring), DE Harold Landry (knee).

Series notes

The Seahawks have won three in a row against the Patriots, but New England holds ultimate bragging rights with its 28-24 win against Seattle in Super Bowl 49. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson with 20 seconds remaining in the game. Each of the past six games between these two teams has been decided by seven or fewer points. While the Seahawks were still in the AFC, they won five games in a row against the Patriots from 1989-1993. New England won the first three games in this series, including a 31-0 shutout Oct. 9, 1977.

Stats and stuff

The Patriots are making their 12th Super Bowl appearance. They are 6-5 in their previous 11… With a win Sunday, the Patriots will break a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history… With a victory, New England would also join the 1981 San Francisco 49ers, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 2001 Patriots, the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles and the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only teams to follow a losing record with a Super Bowl victory… The Patriots are the sixth team to have reached a Super Bowl after winning five or fewer games the previous season. The Rams and Patriots were the only teams to win the Super Bowl from that group… The Patriots were 9-0 on the road this season. They are the first team in NFL history to play at least nine games on the road and win them all… DT Milton Williams will play in his second consecutive Super Bowl. He won a ring with the Eagles last season… Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson led the NFL with four TD runs of 50–plus yards (52, 55, 65 and 69) this season. It tied the league record for the most in a season by a rookie joining Saquon Barkley (2018) and Lenny Moore (1956)… CB Marcus Jones returned an interception for a touchdown in the divisional round against the Texans. With another, he will join Asante Samuel as the only Patriots player with two in a single postseason. He’d also join Ty Law as the second Patriots player with a pick-6 in a Super Bowl… CB Carlton Davis III had two INTs in the divisional round against Houston. With a third on Sunday he would join Rodney Harrison, Ty Law and Fred Marion as the only Patriots players with at least three in a single postseason… Seattle earned its first division title since 2020, and 12th in franchise history… The Seahawks have 14 regular-season wins for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks previous franchise record for wins in a season was 13, which happened in the 2013 and 2005 seasons. Seattle won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll… The Seahawks had five players selected to the 2025 All-Pro team, matching a franchise record, with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba earning first-team honors and DT Leonard Williams, CB Devon Witherspoon, LB Ernest Jones IV, and P Michael Dickson making the second team… Smith-Njigba, who led the NFL in receiving yards this season, has also had 100 or more catches in consecutive seasons. He had 119 catches in the 2025 season… Seahawks TE A.J. Barner has set single-season career highs in receptions (52), yards (519) and touchdowns (six)… Ernest Jones IV had five interceptions this season for Seattle, tied for second most in the NFL. Jones also had one in Seattle’s divisional round win over the 49ers… Kenneth Walker III tied Shaun Alexander’s record for TD runs in a playoff game with three in Seattle’s divisional-round victory over the San Francisco 49ers… Sam Darnold had his most yards passing in a game of the season when completing 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards against the Rams in the NFC championship game.

    Super Bowl LX game program cover.

Pittsburgh’s Downtown Campus — 2026 NFL Draft

The first look at Pittsburgh’s renderings for their version of the NFL Draft — April 23-25, 2026.

2025 Season Ticket Holder Handbook

Now that the 2025 Green Bay Packers season is over and things have settled down, I thought maybe some of you might enjoy seeing the Season Ticket Holder Handbook. All you need to do is have your name come up on the waiting list, send the Packers a large seat license fee, followed by a large amount of each year for the tickets, and you will get this in the mail as well. 2026 will be my 35th year as a season ticket holder.

Denver backup QB and ex-Patriot Jarrett Stidham is all that’s keeping New England from Super Bowl

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ENGLAND (16-3) at DENVER (15-3)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. CST, CBS/Paramount+
Series record: Broncos lead 31-24.
Last meeting: Patriots won 26-23 in Denver on Dec. 24, 2023.
Last week: Patriots beat Texans 28-16; Broncos beat Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Patriots offense: overall (3), rush (6), pass (4), scoring (2).
Patriots defense: overall (8), rush (6), pass (9), scoring (4).
Broncos offense: overall (10), rush (16), pass (11), scoring (14).
Broncos defense: overall (2), rush (2), pass (7), scoring (3).
Turnover differential: Patriots plus-3; Broncos plus-1.

The NFL’s conference championship games feature both No. 1 seeds, two division rivals and a backup quarterback making his first start of the season. The Denver Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC title game on Sunday. It was Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady the previous time they met in the playoffs 10 years ago. Now, it’s backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos against second-year standout Drake Maye.

All that stands between the New England Patriots and their first trip to the Super Bowl since Tom Brady left is a backup quarterback that they already know pretty well. The team that Brady led to six NFL titles — and 13 conference title games — will play Denver (15-3) on Sunday for the AFC championship against one of the QBs who filled in as his successor. 

Jarrett Stidham, who was selected by New England (16-3) in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, will make his first start since 2023 as a sub for Bo Nix, who broke his ankle near the end of the Broncos’ playoff victory over Buffalo on Saturday. Stidham spent two years in New England as a backup. When New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was coaching in Las Vegas, he gave Stidham a try there; coach Mike Vrabel said he also looked into Stidham when he was in Tennessee and again last summer, before the veteran backup re-signed with the Broncos. “I guess it was kind of ironic,” Vrabel said on Monday, praising Stidham’s accuracy, athleticism and decision-making. “He’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched.”

The Patriots beat Houston 28-16 on Sunday to return to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their sixth Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Brady’s second-to-last year in New England. Drake Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns; he also had an interception on an end-of-half desperation pass and fumbled four times, turning it over twice, in a wintry mix that also contributed to the four interceptions thrown by Texans QB C.J. Stroud.

Patriots player to watch

Drake Maye. The MVP finalist had three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had thrown at least three TD passes in a playoff game. It was also the most since Tom Brady had three in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.

Broncos player to watch

Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix’s backup hasn’t thrown a pass in two seasons and the only snap he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has appeared in 20 games with four starts in his six-year NFL career and the Patriots tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over two years.

Key matchup

Maye versus Denver’s defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen three times. They also forced Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight playoff games without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, thrown two interceptions and fumbled six times, losing three of them.

Key injuries

Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has been on injured reserve since Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was activated on Saturday. He played in the first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week for the first time since foot surgery in mid-November, was ruled out. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice this week. C Luke Wattenberg appears ready to return from injured reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month.

Series notes

The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups between the teams, winning all four games in Denver. The two most recent meetings were in the AFC championship games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver’s 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the final meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Stats and stuff

This will be the Patriots’ 13th appearance in the AFC title game in the past 25 seasons… The Patriots (Mike Vrabel) and San Francisco 49ers (George Seifert 1989, won the Super Bowl) are the only teams in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated on the road with a new head coach… Vrabel is attempting to become the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a team… Maye has completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more yards) through his first two playoff games. The Broncos didn’t allow Buffalo’s Josh Allen a completion and intercepted him twice on nine deep pass attempts in the divisional round… With a win, Maye would become the first quarterback to win three playoff games against top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers entered the playoffs ranked fifth, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked second… Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including the playoffs. The Patriots have recovered six of Maye’s fumbles on sacks, with three recoveries by LT Will Campbell. The only other quarterbacks strip-sacked 10 or more times since 2020 are Matt Ryan (11 in 2022), Derek Carr (10 in 2021) and Kirk Cousins (10 in 2021)… Maye is one of three quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with five or more turnovers and 10 or more sacks. He joins Russell Wilson (2014, lost in the Super Bowl) and Roger Staubach (1973, lost in the NFC championship game)… WR Stefon Diggs has played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 yards and five touchdowns. He needs 35 yards to become the 18th NFL player to reach 1,000, and the third Patriots player. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots players to eclipse the mark… Diggs has played in the most postseason games among all Patriots players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second with 11 postseason games… LB K’Lavon Chaisson has three sacks this postseason. With another he’ll joint Willie McGinest (five in 2003 and 4½ in 2005) and Garin Veris (four in 1985) as the only Patriots with at least four in a single postseason… The Broncos are 18-5 all time in home playoff games since their first one in 1977 during the “Orange Crush” era… This is Denver’s 11th appearance in the AFC championship game… Stidham is 1-3 in his four NFL starts with his only victory coming against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023… K Wil Lutz made all four of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points against Buffalo last week. His four field goals are one shy of the franchise playoff record of five set by Brandon McManus in the playoffs following the 2015 season… Last week OLB Nik Bonitto became the third player in Broncos history to force two fumbles in a playoff game. By stripping the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto joined Von Miller (against Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (against Dallas in Super Bowl 12)… ILB Alex Singleton’s 14 tackles last week, including 11 solo, were the most by a Denver defender in a playoff game this century… DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a big game against Buffalo. He had 1½ sacks and recovered a fumble.

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The Seahawks and Rams meet for the third time, this time with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line

ASSOCIATED PRESS

January 24, 2026

LOS ANGELES RAMS (14-5) at SEATTLE (15-3)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. CST, FOX.
Series record: Seahawks lead 29-28
Last meeting: Seattle beat the Rams 38-37 in overtime on Dec. 18.
Last week: The Rams beat Chicago 20-17 in overtime in the divisional round on Jan. 18. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round on Jan. 17.
Rams offense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (1), scoring (1).
Rams defense: overall (17), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (10).
Seahawks offense: overall (T-7), rush (T-10), pass (8), scoring (5).
Seahawks defense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (1).
Turnover differential: Rams plus-15; Seahawks minus-4.

The Rams are seeking their third straight road win after eliminating Carolina in the wild-card round and beating Chicago 20-17 in overtime last week. Stafford and coach Sean McVay led them to a Super Bowl title four years ago and this will be the team’s 12th NFC championship game. The No. 1 seed Seahawks routed the 49ers 41-6 to advance to their fifth conference title game and first in 11 years. Darnold has struggled against the Rams. Los Angeles sacked Darnold nine times and intercepted him once in a 27-9 wild-card victory last season when he was with Minnesota. In Week 11, Darnold threw four picks in a 21-19 loss to the Rams. He nearly rallied the Seahawks to victory but Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal at the end. On Dec. 18, Darnold tossed two interceptions and was sacked four times as Seattle fell behind Los Angeles by 16 points in the fourth quarter. But the Seahawks stormed back to tie it up, including a wacky 2-point conversion, and won 38-37 in overtime when Darnold connected with Eric Saubert on another 2-pointer. The Rams had allowed 30 points per game over a five-game stretch before holding Caleb Williams and the Bears to 17. With Stafford, All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua and star wideout Davante Adams, the Rams led the league in yards and scoring at 30.5 points per game. The Seahawks were third in scoring (28.4) and their defense featuring defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon gave up the fewest points (17.2 per game).

Rams player to watch

RG Kevin Dotson returned after missing three games because of an ankle injury, and Los Angeles’ top offensive lineman didn’t miss a beat, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ best run-blocking interior lineman during the divisional round. The Rams finished with 111 yards rushing, and coach Sean McVay regretted going away from his successful ground game. Dotson was hurt on the first drive of the wild 38-37 overtime loss to the Seahawks, and the drop-off from Dotson to backup Justin Dedich was a key factor in swinging the NFC West and top seed in the conference to Seattle.

Seahawks player to watch

RB Kenneth Walker III. Not only did Walker tie Shaun Alexander’s record for TD runs in a playoff game with three in last week’s victory, but he also rushed for a season-high 116 yards. Because Zach Charbonnet is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a knee injury, Seattle will turn almost exclusively to Walker to churn out yards on the ground.

Key matchup

WR Cooper Kupp against the Rams secondary. Kupp had his most receiving yards in a game since Nov. 9 in the Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the 49ers in the divisional round. In two games against the Rams, his former team, Kupp has six catches for 62 yards this season.

Key injuries

Rams: CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. has been limited because of a shoulder injury but is expected to play Sunday. Los Angeles’ secondary is already short-handed after Ahkello Witherspoon sustained a season-ending shoulder blade injury against Carolina in the wild-card round… OLB Byron Young was held out of practice this week as a precaution because of knee soreness… S Quentin Lake missed practice Wednesday because of illness.

Seahawks: QB Sam Darnold (oblique) was limited in practice on Wednesday, after injuring it last week. TE Elijah Arroyo (knee) and LB Chazz Surratt (ankle) were both full participants after being ruled out for last week’s game. T Charles Cross (foot) did not practice on Wednesday, nor did fellow tackles Josh Jones (knee, ankle) nor Amari Kight. RB George Holani (hamstring) was a full participant on Wednesday. LB Uchenna Nwosu (hamstring) was a limited practice participant, as was FB Robbie Ouzts (neck).

Series notes

The Rams have won four of the past six games played in Seattle, but fell in an overtime thriller last month… Each of the past five games between the Rams and Seahawks have been decided by one score, including Seattle’s 38-37 overtime win on Dec. 18… The Seahawks are 17-8 against the Rams in Seattle. These franchises seldom played until realignment in 2002, when the Seahawks moved from the AFC West to the NFC West… The Rams are 2-0 against the Seahawks in the playoffs, with both victories coming in Seattle following the 2004 and 2020 seasons… Coach Sean McVay led Los Angeles to a 30-20 win in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Jan. 9, 2021, but there were no fans at Lumen Field because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stats and stuff

Rams: They’re in the conference championship game for the 12th time after going 5-6 record in their previous trips. Sean McVay is 2-0 in such games, guiding Los Angeles over the New Orleans Saints after the 2018 season and the San Francisco 49ers after the 2021 season… This is the first time McVay is facing a repeat opponent in the playoffs, having seen 15 different opponents in his first 15 postseason games… The Rams are 3-0 against NFC West opposition in the playoffs under McVay, knocking off the Seahawks after the 2020 season and the Arizona Cardinals and 49ers en route to their Super Bowl title following the 2021 season… QB Matthew Stafford failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in nine playoff games with the Rams and the second time in his postseason career overall when he failed to find the end zone last week against the Bears… RB Kyren Williams had two rushing touchdowns in Chicago, his first playoff scoring runs in five career playoff games… CB Cobie Durant can become the first Rams defender to intercept a pass in three straight playoff games. He picked off Bears QB Caleb Williams twice, giving him three interceptions this postseason… The Rams are converting 27.6% of third downs in the playoffs, the lowest mark among the four remaining teams. They were 5 for 16 (31.3%) against Chicago.

Seahawks: Seattle earned its first division title since 2020, and 12th in franchise history… The Seahawks have 14 regular-season wins for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks’ previous franchise record for wins in a season was 13, which happened in the 2013 and 2005 seasons. Seattle won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll… The Seahawks had five players selected to the 2025 All-Pro team, matching a franchise record, with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba earning first-team honors and DT Leonard Williams, CB Devon Witherspoon, LB Ernest Jones IV, and P Michael Dickson making the second team… Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards this season, has also had 100 or more catches in consecutive seasons. He had 119 catches in the 2025 season… Seahawks TE A.J. Barner has set single-season career highs in receptions (52), yards (519) and touchdowns (six)… Ernest Jones IV had five interceptions this season for Seattle, tied for second most in the NFL. Jones also had one in Seattle’s divisional round win over the 49ers… Kenneth Walker III tied Shaun Alexander’s record for TD runs in a playoff game with three in last week’s victory.

2025 NFC Wildcard — Packers at Bears

For Bears and Packers, wild-card game is a rare playoff matchup in NFL’s longest-running rivalry

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Bay (9-7-1) at Chicago (11-6)

DAY/TIME/TV: Saturday, 7 p.m. CST, Amazon Prime Video.

Series record: Packers lead 109-97-6.

Last meeting: Bears beat Packers 22-16 in OT at Chicago on Dec. 20

Last week: Packers lost at Minnesota 16-3; Bears lost to Detroit 19-16.

Packers offense: overall (15), rush (15), pass (17), scoring (16)

Packers defense: overall (12), rush (18), pass (11), scoring (11)

Bears offense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (9)

Bears defense: overall (29), rush (27), pass (22), scoring (23)

Turnover differential: Packers plus-1; Bears plus-22.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have played each other more than any other two teams in the NFL. Playoff games, however, are a rarity. The Bears and Packers will add another chapter to the league’s longest rivalry when they meet in a wild-card game at Soldier Field on Saturday night. It’ll be just the third time the franchises of Halas and Lombardi have faced off in the postseason, and the significance wasn’t lost on the participants. “It’s a crazy rivalry, like, and the fact that we’re playing them in the playoffs too, it just magnifies it another notch, almost,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “And it makes it that much more important.” Bears tight end Cole Kmet grew up in the Chicago area and developed a strong rooting interest for any Green Bay opponent. He now has a personal tie to the Packers: His sister is dating defensive tackle Lukas Van Ness. “It means a lot,” Kmet said. “To be able to be at home against Green Bay, it’s going to be a special atmosphere, and it almost feels like we’ve played these guys like five or six times here in the past month. But I think that’ll just make the atmosphere in the battle that much more epic.”

The Bears (11-6) are hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2018 season, when Cody Parkey’s double-doink missed field goal sealed a wild-card loss to Philadelphia. They’ve lost three straight playoff games since the 2010 team beat Seattle in the divisional round at Soldier Field, and the way that season ended remains a bitter memory for their fans. The Bears lost at home in the NFC championship game to Aaron Rodgers and the hated Packers. Green Bay (9-7-1) has dominated the rivalry in recent decades, but during the past two seasons, it’s been even. Last year, both games were decided on field-goal attempts by Chicago’s Cairo Santos — one was blocked and the other was successful. Both meetings this season were close, with Green Bay winning at Lambeau Field in Week 14 and Chicago prevailing in overtime two weeks later.

Johnson led turnaround for Bears

With coach Ben Johnson setting the tone in his first season and quarterback Caleb Williams making strides in his second year, the Bears went from finishing last in the NFC North to winning the division for the first time since 2018. They made the playoffs for the first time in five years and secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but they lost their last two games of the regular season — 42-38 at San Francisco and 19-16 to Detroit on a last-second field goal.

Packers’ defense struggles without Parsons

The Packers have lost four straight. With the No. 7 seed in the NFC locked up, they rested their top players last week at Minnesota. Limping into the postseason was not what the Packers envisioned when they season began. A trade with Dallas for star pass rusher Micah Parsons sent expectations soaring. The two-time All-Pro suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Week 15 loss at Denver, and the defense has struggled without him. Green Bay blew second-half leads against the Broncos and at Chicago the following week, and then gave up 307 yards rushing while falling 41-24 at home to Baltimore. The Packers expect to have quarterback Jordan Love back. He missed the final two regular-season games after exiting the loss at Chicago with a concussion.

Packers’ Nixon was a pivotal figure in both regular-season games

The Packers overtook the Bears for the NFC North lead with a 28-21 win in Week 14, hanging on thanks to an interception by Keisean Nixon in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining. Chicago had fourth-and-1 at the 14 and Williams badly underthrew Cole Kmet. Williams got some payback two weeks later by throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime for a 22-16 win. The Bears rallied from 10 points down in the final two minutes of regulation. Nixon had coverage on the winning TD, after he and Nate Hobbs left Jahdae Walker wide open on the tying score. Nixon was looking forward to playing the Bears again. “I didn’t want nobody else,” he said. “I wanted the Bears.”

Not much playoff history for these franchises

The last time Green Bay and Chicago met in the playoffs, Rodgers took a Lambeau leap out of Brett Favre’s shadow and the Packers knocked Jay Cutler out of the game with a knee injury on the way to a 21-14 victory. The Packers went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks later in Dallas and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to “Titletown USA” for the first time since the 1996 team won it. In 1941, George Halas’ Bears beat Curly Lambeau’s Packers in the playoffs at Wrigley Field. Chicago then knocked off the New York Giants in the NFL championship game, also at Wrigley.

Packers seek to end skid

The Packers are the fourth team in NFL history to head into the playoffs on a losing streak of at least four games. The others were the 1986 New York Jets, 1999 Detroit Lions and 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. Those Lions and Steelers both lost their playoff openers. The Jets won a wild-card game against Kansas City before losing to Cleveland in overtime in the divisional round.

Packers player to watch

QB Jordan Love: He hasn’t played in a game since a helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker in the second quarter of the Dec. 20 Packers-Bears game sent him into concussion protocol. Love was cleared before Green Bay’s regular-season finale, but the Packers opted to rest him for the playoffs. Love has nine touchdown passes and only two interceptions in six games against the Bears.

Bears player to watch

QB Caleb Williams. The Bears envisioned deep playoff runs on a regular basis when they drafted Williams with the No. 1 overall pick last year. They hope this is just the start. Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Though his completion percentage ranked last among qualifying leaders, he became more and more comfortable in coach Ben Johnson’s system.

Key matchup

Chicago’s running backs against Green Bay’s defensive line. Though the Bears’ run game emerged as one of the best this season behind a retooled line, it was hard to tell against Detroit. Chicago managed just 65 yards rushing, with D’Andre Swift held to 40 yards on 10 attempts and rookie Kyle Monangai finishing with 14 yards on six carries. With Swift running for 1,087 yards and Monangai adding 783, the Bears were the only team with two 750-yard rushers. Green Bay struggled to stop the run in recent weeks, with Devonte Wyatt (ankle) and then Micah Parsons (knee) suffering season-ending injuries. The Packers gave up 150 yards rushing to the Bears in their most recent meeting and then allowed Derrick Henry to run for 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-24 loss to Baltimore.

Key injuries

Packers: WR/CB Bo Melton (knee), CB Kamal Hadden (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), DL Jordon Riley (Achilles tendon) and S Zayne Anderson (ankle) have gone on injured reserve since the most recent Packers-Bears game… OT Zach Tom (knee) missed the Packers’ last three regular-season games and is questionable for Saturday. Also questionable are DL Warren Brinson (foot), S Javon Bullard (knee), LB Nick Niemann (pectoral), WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) and backup QB Malik Willis (shoulder/hamstring).

Bears: WR Rome Odunze (foot) expects to play after missing the final five regular-season games… CB Kyler Gordon (groin) is questionable as he attempts to return after being sidelined since Week 13. He has been limited to three games because of hamstring and groin injuries… CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB Amen Ogbongbemiga and DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka have been ruled out because of concussions… OL Braxton Jones (knee) is questionable.

Series notes

The Packers are 30-7 against the Bears counting the playoffs since the start of the 2008 season, with the past four games coming down to the wire. In 2024, both came down to field-goal attempts by Chicago’s Cairo Santos on the final play — one that got blocked and one that was successful. This season, Green Bay hung on to win 28-21 in Week 14 at Lambeau Field when Keisean Nixon intercepted Williams in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining. Chicago returned the favor two weeks later, rallying from 10 down in the final two minutes of regulation before Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown to DJ Moore in overtime. This is the third playoff game between the longtime rivals — all in Chicago. The Bears won a Western Division playoff game over the Packers 33-14 at Wrigley Field on Dec. 14, 1941. The Packers beat the Bears 21-14 in an NFC championship game at Soldier Field on Jan. 23, 2011.

Stats and stuff

The Packers have the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed for the third straight year. They reached the divisional round in 2023 and lost 22-10 at Philadelphia in the wild-card round last season… The Packers dropped their final four regular-season games… They’re the fourth team to enter the playoffs after losing at least four straight games to end the regular season. The others were the 1986 New York Jets, 1999 Detroit Lions and 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. The only team in that group to win a playoff game was the 1986 Jets, who beat Kansas City in the wild-card round before losing to Cleveland in overtime in the divisional round… Packers DL Rashan Gary had 7½ sacks in Green Bay’s first seven games but doesn’t have any since… Packers RB Josh Jacobs had 13 touchdown runs this season, putting him in a tie for fourth place in the league. Jacobs didn’t play against the Vikings and had just 39 yards rushing on 16 carries over his final two regular-season games as he dealt with a knee issue… The Bears won the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They have lost three straight postseason games since the 2010 team beat Seattle in a divisional game at Soldier Field… The Bears dropped their final two regular-season games, losing to Detroit on a last-second field goal after coming up short in a 42-38 shootout at San Francisco. They gave up 433 yards against the Lions after the 49ers went off for 496… If Chicago beats Green Bay, Ben Johnson would become the franchise’s first coach to win a playoff game in their first season… The Bears led the league in interceptions (23), takeaways (33) and turnover differential (plus-22) while committing a league-low 11 turnovers… Chicago won six games after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter… With seven interceptions, S Kevin Byard led the league for the second time in his 10 seasons.