It’s decision day for the National Football League as they are set to vote on several rule proposals at the league meetings in Minnesota. While fans anticipated a decision on banning the Philadelphia Eagles’ “tush push” play, the Detroit Lions had a big proposal of their own.
The Lions were pushing for a change in the way that teams are seeded in the playoffs. Instead of the current format, that has the four division winners seeded with a guaranteed home game followed by the three wild card teams, Detroit pushed for a straight 1-through-7 format similar to how the league did it prior to realignment in 2002.
However, that proposal hit a snag and the NFL may have just saved the Lions from themselves as they look for an elusive Super Bowl appearance.
Lions Withdraw Playoff Seeding Proposal at NFL Meetings
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Lions have withdrawn their proposal to change the way playoff teams are seeded and will no longer be voted on at this week’s meetings. SI’s Albert Breer also theorized that the proposal was removed “for reasons relating to creating relevant games at the end of the season,” but in the end, it may be the NFL doing the Lions a favor.
The league initially prompted the Lions to make the proposal after the way the 2024 season played out. While the Lions had a 14-2 record after 16 games, so did the Minnesota Vikings, creating a massive Week 18 matchup. The game drew 28.5 million and was the most-watched Sunday Night Football season finale since 2012 but also created a unique scenario where the winner earned home-field advantage in the NFC and the loser would drop to the fifth seed and go on the road for the playoffs.
Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown criticized the format before the game, leading the league to ask Detroit to propose the rule change. But instead of guaranteeing each division winner a spot in the playoffs, the Lions proposed to remove that incentive by going to a straight seeding.
Going to a straight format last season would have gotten them a home game, no matter what would have happened against the Vikings and it would have delayed a potential rematch until the conference championship game. But it also could backfire in a different season where the NFC North is a weaker division and another division is as strong as the North was last season.
It also eliminates the NFL’s possibility of having another massive matchup in Week 18, which weakens the proposal from a business standpoint.
Maybe the Lions had good intentions with their proposal, but didn’t understand the assignment. Either way, Breer suggests the topic is still on the table with the potential for reseeding happening in 2026 or when they move to an 18-game schedule and it could lead to a more beneficial format for the Lions down the road.