The Seattle Seahawks were always unlikely to play the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Defeating the Eagles in Philadelphia with all the injuries San Francisco suffered in 2025 was a daunting task. (At the time of this writing, the game hasn't been played, but let's likely assume the future we all know will unfold.)
With an Eagles victory, they would next play the Chicago Bears, while Seattle would host the Los Angeles Rams. And let's be real: The Seahawks and the Rams have been the best two teams in the NFC for most of the season.
That game should truly be the NFC Championship game, and the NFL should likely think about re-seeding teams once everyone is in the playoffs, but, you know...money. Somehow, the league will have figured out a way to make money even with teams with worse records hosting playoff home games.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford is dealing with a finger issue ahead of the expected matchup with the Seattle Seahawks
But with the presumption that Seattle was going to play LA at Lumen Field in the Divisional round, some drama will probably build throughout the week. Stafford had the middle finger on his throwing hand bent back against the Carolina Panthers in the first half, but continued to play.
According to ESPN, Stafford will undergo tests on how bad the injury is, but fans of the Rams and Seahawks can assume that come next weekend, Stafford is going to play against Seattle. First of all, the issue is his middle finger and not his index finger, and that is key.
He can still grip a ball with his middle finger and still throw with velocity. This was proven as the quarterback finished with three touchdown passes and just one interception in a come-from-behind win in Charlotte.
In the week leading up to playing the Seattle Seahawks (again, assuming the Eagles dispatch the 49ers in Philly, which seems like a safe bet), football fans will probably hear a lot about Matthew Stafford and his finger. It makes for great drama for the NFL.
But one can also assume that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald will prepare in full to face Matthew Stafford because that will be what happens. Anything else is just the league building up white noise and a potential distraction for Seattle. The coaching staff is very unlikely to take the bait and will be ready to try to slow Stafford as it did in Week 11.