This year, the Detroit Lions sent a proposal to Roger Goodell’s NFL to amend the current playoff seeding format. The Lions wanted to shake up how playoff spots are ranked in the NFL. Right now, if you win your division, even with an average record, you get one of the top four seeds. That means even if another team has a way better record but didn’t win their division, they get pushed down and have to play on the road. Doesn’t seem fair, right?

That’s what the Lions were trying to fix. They proposed that playoff spots should be based on which teams had the best records, not just division titles. So if a wild-card team went 14-3, and a division winner only went 10-7, the 14-3 team should be ranked higher. It’s as simple as that. Earn more wins and get a better spot. But will Roger Goodell consider it fpr this season?

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, who joined the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, talked about this proposal and revealed the latest update on it. He said, “The interesting news this morning, Dan, was that the playoff re-seeding proposal from the Detroit Lions, which they were proposing, ‘hey, look, if you have a better record as a wild-card team than a division winner, you should jump them in the seedings.’ That has been off the table.”

It’s kinda surprising, because folks thought it might at least get discussed. But nope, the playoff format is staying exactly the same this season. However, in the future, it might be on the table again, as Fowler added, “That (proposal) has now been revoked, at least for this term….So, okay, it’s going to be the same playoff format this season, but there is an acknowledgement here that, like, if it goes to 18 games eventually or in future years, they’re going to have to re-seed this thing. They’re going to have to work it out. They don’t really want situations where teams have meaningless games in December and January, when you’re locked into a two seed and you’re resting your guys.”

Like the Rams did last year, or the Chiefs did in the final week, making the path to playoff qualification easier for the Broncos. That’s not good for fans or TV ratings. The league wants games in December and January to matter. So, for now, the playoff format remains the same for 2025. In addition to this, Fowler also talked about the onside kick stuff. Some changes are coming there too.

As per him, teams might soon be allowed to attempt an onside kick at any point in the game, not just in the fourth quarter when they’re desperate. So, even if it’s the first quarter, go for it. Also, they’re thinking about moving the kickoff spot by a yard. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s meant to make the play more exciting. So, all in all, the league wants a little spice back in that moment. And big changes aren’t happening this week, but it’s clear the NFL’s laying the groundwork for the future, perhaps thinking about the Lions’ proposal.

Have the Lions withdrawn their proposal from Roger Goodell’s office?

Last season, the Vikings had an insane 14-3 record but still had to travel to play the Rams, who only went 10-7 but won their division… and they lost. If the Lions’ plan had been in place, the Vikings would’ve been at the top, right behind the 15-2 Lions. The Eagles, who also went 14-3, would’ve been up there too. It would’ve been all about performance, not just divisions. Basically, Detroit just wanted the playoff setup to reflect who earned it. But since all proposals submitted to Roger Goodell’s NFL Competition Committee must be approved by at least 24 of the 32 NFL owners to pass, the proposed ban failed to reach at least the required 75% (getting only 22-10 votes.) As a result, the Lions withdrew their playoff reseeding proposal on Wednesday.

Roger Goodell gave a little insight into what’s going on behind the scenes. He said, “On the reseeding, that is something that had gotten a lot of discussion in March. There are different forms of reseeding, as you can imagine. What I wanted to look at and what we eventually got the discussion on, where is the ownership’s position on where they want us and the committees to evaluate. Is it no reseeding at all, some form of reseeding? After the first week, after the second week? What is it that would be of interest to them? And I think we got some direction on that and some timing issues on that, so that was helpful.”

Goodell admitted there’s some interest in change, just not a major overhaul. If anything happens, it’ll be small steps. He hinted that as the league looks at possibly expanding the season, reseeding could fit into those bigger plans. Nothing is locked in yet, but he made it clear, ideas are coming, and when they’re ready, the owners will hear them first.