The Detroit Lions are looking to stir the pot a bit at the upcoming NFL owners’ meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, by submitting a new rule change proposal focused on playoff seeding. Interestingly, this proposal could have greatly benefited their NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, during the 2024 playoffs.
Detroit Lions Propose Rule Change
As it stands right now, division champions automatically secure higher playoff seeds, even if wild-card teams finish with superior regular-season records. The Lions’ proposed rule would allow wild-card teams with better overall records to earn higher playoff seeds than division winners, rewarding regular-season consistency.
Had this rule been in place last season, the playoff seeding would have looked very different. Even though the Lions beat the Vikings in their pivotal Week 18 matchup to grab the NFC’s top seed, Minnesota would still have landed a higher playoff spot as a wild-card team due to their strong regular-season performance. The new format would have ranked teams purely based on their records, using division titles only as a tiebreaker when records matched.
Why This Matters
Detroit’s proposal promotes fairness and encourages teams to compete at full throttle throughout the entire season. By ensuring playoff positioning truly reflects a team’s regular-season success, it minimizes scenarios where weaker division winners get higher seeds than deserving wild-card squads.
If passed, this rule could spice up future NFL playoffs, ensuring that teams are genuinely rewarded for their season-long efforts. Owners will vote on this proposal during the league meetings later this month.
