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The Seattle Seahawks don’t know their exact Divisional Round opponent yet, but they do know it’s going to be familiar.
After the Chicago Bears’ stunning 31-27 Wild Card comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 10, Seattle’s opponent pool narrowed to two NFC West rivals: the Los Angeles Rams or the San Francisco 49ers.
That final answer will be decided Sunday when the 49ers (No. 6) visit the Eagles (No. 3), a January 11 matchup with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. ET.
Seattle, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, will host the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Round because the NFL reseeds after the Wild Card round.
Why Bears-Packers locked Seattle into Rams or 49ers
The Bears’ win matters because it eliminated the No. 7 seed Packers, the one team that would have automatically been routed to Seattle as the “lowest seed left.”
With Green Bay out, Seattle can only draw:
- San Francisco (No. 6) if the 49ers win in Philadelphia, or
- Los Angeles (No. 5) if the Eagles knock out the 49ers.
Either way, it’s a familiar opponent, and a familiar tone. Seattle’s path now points directly back to the NFC West.
Rams are already through, and Seattle already knows what that looks like
The Rams punched their ticket first, beating the Carolina Panthers 34-31 in a Wild Card thriller that ended with Matthew Stafford’s late touchdown pass.
If that’s where the bracket lands, it will be a third meeting between Seattle and Los Angeles this season, and Seattle already has two extremely recent snapshots of what a Rams game can turn into.
The Seahawks beat the Rams 38-37 in overtime in December to clinch a playoff berth, a wild game that also served as a reminder that L.A. can make you sweat for every inch.
Seattle also had the other side of it earlier in the year, dropping a tight 21-19 decision to the Rams. A game where Sam Darnold threw four interceptions and created a national discourse that could have been a distraction for the team.
If it’s the 49ers, Seattle just sent a message
If San Francisco wins Sunday, Seattle would host the 49ers, and the Seahawks will enter that matchup with the freshest confidence boost possible: a 13-3 win over San Francisco in Week 18 to clinch the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed.
That game wasn’t fluky. Seattle’s defense controlled the night, and the Seahawks finished the regular season 14-3, locking up the bye and home-field advantage.
When the Seahawks play and why the bye matters now
Seattle’s first playoff game will come in the Divisional Round on Jan. 17 or Jan. 18 (kickoff time TBD).
That extra week is massive; not just for rest, but for preparation. Seattle can build two scouting files and then go all-in as soon as Sunday’s 49ers-Eagles result makes the matchup official.
Quick context
- Seahawks: No. 1 seed, 14-3; clinched top seed with 13-3 win over 49ers
- Bears-Packers: Bears win 31-27; Packers eliminated
- Rams-Panthers: Rams win 34-31; Rams advance
- 49ers-Eagles: Jan. 11, 1:30 p.m. PT kickoff
- Seahawks-Rams 2025: Seattle won 38-37 OT; also lost 21-19
- Seahawks’ Divisional Round window: Jan. 17-18
Seattle will find out its opponent Sunday, but the tone is already set: either a Sean McVay Rams team built for chaos, or a 49ers squad Seattle just stifled.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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