Records and High Prices for NFL Wild Card Weekend
The road to the Lombardi Trophy starts this weekend with the wild-card round. While the Chiefs and Lions locked down the No. 1 seeds, 12 other teams are in action across the country looking to survive and advance.
This NFL season’s surprises will be on full display in Round 1: The Commanders and Broncos are both back in the postseason behind rookie quarterbacks; the Vikings racked up 14 wins with a backup; and the Chargers clinched the five-seed with a first-year head coach, to name a few.
With a wide-open field and more unpredictability on tap, the league is seeing several record first-round prices, according to data from TickPick, a leading North American ticket marketplace. This week, Front Office Sports takes you through the biggest ticketing storylines, as fans of long shots and favorites race for coveted seats.
Loads of Green
For all their combined history, the Eagles and Packers have linked up only three times in the NFL postseason. In Week 1 in Brazil, they exploded for a combined 63 points when Philadelphia won, but a tighter defensive battle is expected in this rematch: Their defenses both finished the season inside the top six in points per game.
Still, Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love represent the best quarterback matchup on paper in the opening round, and both teams have real title hopes. That’s why, according to TickPick, Sunday afternoon’s affair is the most expensive wild-card matchup this year with an average purchase price of $444.
Green Bay-Philadelphia is also the third-most expensive wild-card game on record. The current get-in price is nothing to sneeze at, either: TickPick notes the current cost to get in Lincoln Financial Field is $298.
Herbert, Harbaugh, and
Houston
The early Saturday game is a near-A-plus matchup. A pair of offenses led by C.J. Stroud and Justin Herbert, and a sideline battle between second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and Jim Harbaugh. The former Michigan coach has taken the Chargers to the playoffs in his first year as their coach, just one year after winning the College Football Playoff—and 11 seasons after his last NFL postseason trip with the 49ers.
The only problem in Houston: a banged-up Texans receiving corps. After a monthlong absence, superstar Nico Collins returned for the home stretch of the regular season, but fellow pass-catchers Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs will both be missing in action Saturday.
The slightly lowered expectations have not deterred fans in H-Town. According to TickPick, this is the most expensive Texans home playoff game on record, with an average purchase price of $311—17% more expensive than the Texans’ wild-card matchup last season against the Browns ($265). The current get-in price for NRG Stadium, though, is the lowest at $93.
Saturday Night
Fight
The Ravens and Steelers, storied AFC North rivals, have met only four times in the NFL postseason (Pittsburgh 3–1). Mike Tomlin’s group may have pulled a Week 11 upset to split the regular-season series, but John Harbaugh’s team is home—and is the heavy favorite.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson just put up another season worthy of an MVP had it not been for Josh Allen, while Russell Wilson has done enough to get Pittsburgh into its fourth postseason in five years. According to TickPick, Saturday night’s battle is the most expensive Ravens wild-card game, with an average purchase price of $213 and the fourth-most-expensive Ravens home playoff game on record.
The most expensive playoff game for the Ravens: last season’s AFC championship game against the Chiefs, with an average purchase price of $976 (358% more expensive).
NFL Wild Card 2025 By Average Purchase Price
Some interesting ticket data is revealed when looking at the average purchase prices for this weekend compared to last year’s wild-card round.
Looking Ahead:
Divisional Round
It’s not too early to start thinking about the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Here’s a look at the ticket trends for the bye teams hosting games next weekend:
