1996–97 NFL playoffs
| Dates | December 28, 1996–January 26, 1997 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 1996 | ||||
| Teams | 12 | ||||
| Games played | 11 | ||||
| Super Bowl XXXI site | |||||
| Defending champions | Dallas Cowboys | ||||
| Champion | Green Bay Packers | ||||
| Runner-up | New England Patriots | ||||
| Conference runners-up | |||||
| |||||
The National Football League playoffs for the 1996 season began on December 28, 1996. The postseason tournament concluded with the Green Bay Packers defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI, 35–21, on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, each in just their second year of existence, not only qualified for the playoffs for the first time, but they also both advanced to their respective conference championship games.