The New York Giants are no longer alone in their misery.
After becoming the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention last week, the Giants now have company in what’s become a growing group of teams whose postseason hopes have already vanished. As of the end of Week 13, five franchises have been mathematically ruled out of the 2025 NFL playoffs:
- New York Giants (2-10)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
- New Orleans Saints (2-10)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
- Tennessee Titans (1-11)
Each of these teams entered the season with varying expectations, but the results have been similarly disappointing. For the Giants, this marks a third straight season without a playoff appearance-a stretch that cost head coach Brian Daboll his job back in November.
Meanwhile, the Saints’ drought now stretches to five consecutive seasons, the longest of this eliminated bunch. The Cardinals, Titans, and Raiders are each staring down their fourth straight year without postseason football.
But while the playoff picture is beginning to take shape at the top, these eliminated teams still have a role to play down the stretch. Spoiler season is officially here.
Take the Arizona Cardinals, for example. They’ve got two games remaining against the division-rival Rams.
And while the Cardinals won’t be playing for January football, those matchups could have serious implications for L.A.’s playoff push. A surprise win-or two-could throw a wrench into the Rams’ postseason plans.
That’s the kind of chaos that can define December football, even for teams out of the running.
Looking ahead, more teams are inching dangerously close to the brink. The Cleveland Browns (3-9), Washington Commanders (3-9), and New York Jets (3-9) are all just a loss or two away from joining the eliminated ranks.
For the Jets, the playoff drought is especially painful. They haven’t made the postseason since 2010-the longest active streak in the league-and that skid is all but guaranteed to continue.
With five teams down and several more teetering, the playoff field is slowly coming into focus. But for now, no team has officially clinched a postseason berth. That means the race is still wide open at the top, while the bottom continues to fall away.
In the NFL, only 14 teams get a ticket to the dance. The rest? They’re left watching from the outside, wondering what went wrong-and how to fix it before next year.