The annual NFL owners meetings are just a few weeks away, and that means teams are lining up potential rule changes for the 2025 season. The Green Bay Packers drew immediate attention when they proposed banning the Philadelphia Eagles’ “tush push” play. But the Lions have also generated their list of ideas when they head to Palm Beach in less than two weeks.
The Lions had some simple requests including eliminating an automatic first down as a penalty for defensive holding and illegal contact. But they also had a bigger proposal that stemmed from some NFC North drama last season.
Lions Propose Change to NFL Playoff Format
According to the NFL’s official website, the Lions have proposed an alteration to the league’s playoff format. In the past, the four division champions have automatically gained the top four seeds in a conference, with the final three teams filling out the wild card spots. In Detroit’s proposal, the division champions would still get an automatic playoff berth, but the wild card team would receive a higher seed if they have a better record.
That scenario played out last season when the Detroit Lions earned the No. 1 seed with a 15-2 record but had to win it in the final week of the season by defeating the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings went on to become the fifth seed in the NFC and lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams.
It seems crazy that the Lions would propose a rule that could help a division rival. But had the Lions not won that game, Detroit would have fallen to the fifth seed and likely had to have won three straight road games to reach the Super Bowl. Even worse? That second game would have been against the No. 1 seed if a lower-seeded wild card team didn’t win in the first round.
The current state of the NFC North is also forcing the Lions' hand. The Vikings loaded up in free agency, adding Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to an offensive line that was bullied in Detroit’s Week 18 victory. The Packers finished 11-6 last season and should be a playoff threat with Jordan Love under center. Even the Chicago Bears have some momentum despite finishing 5-12 last season, hiring former Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to work with Caleb Williams.
By making this move, the Lions wouldn’t tumble down the standings for not winning their division. It would also help Detroit avoid their rivals as they make their way through the NFC playoff bracket. It’s a move that should be easy to gather support from their divisional counterparts and get the 75% needed to make it official when they meet from March 30 to April 2.