- A Detroit Lions proposal to re-seed the NFL playoffs based on regular season record, if implemented this season, would have dramatically altered the Wild Card Weekend matchups.
- The proposal, which failed to gain traction among team owners, aimed to prioritize regular season performance over automatic division winner advantages.
- Several teams, including the Steelers, Texans, Rams, and Panthers, would have seen their playoff positioning change under the proposed system.
- The potential impact extends to team strategy in Week 18, as clubs might approach games differently knowing seeding isn’t solely tied to division titles.
- The debate highlights a growing tension between rewarding division wins and recognizing overall regular season success in the evolving NFL landscape.
Pittsburgh, January 2, 2026 – Imagine a playoff picture flipped on its head. That’s what could have been if the Detroit Lions had their way last offseason, potentially sending three Wild Card Weekend home teams packing instead.
The Lions pitched a bylaw change to the NFL that would have prioritized regular season record over division titles when seeding non-division-winning playoff teams. Division champions would still secure a playoff berth, but wouldn’t automatically be guaranteed a home game in the first round.
AFC Playoff Picture, Reimagined
Here’s how the AFC playoff seeding would look under the Lions’ proposal:
1. Broncos, 2. Patriots, 3. Jaguars, 4. Texans, 5. Bills, 6. Chargers, 7. Steelers.
NFC Playoff Picture, Reimagined
And in the NFC:
1. Seahawks, 2. Rams, 3. 49ers, 4. Bears, 5. Eagles, 6. Packers, 7. Panthers.
This altered landscape would have meant a road game for the Pittsburgh Steelers instead of hosting a playoff game, traveling to New England. The Chargers would have faced the Jaguars on the road, and the Bills would have been heading to Houston.
The NFC would have seen a shift as well. The Rams-Panthers game would still occur, but at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, as the Rams finished with four more wins than Carolina. The 49ers would have hosted the Packers, and the Bears would have welcomed the Eagles.
What’s the biggest takeaway? A change like this would significantly impact which teams have a home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The proposal, however, didn’t resonate with many team owners during league meetings last spring. Sources indicate owners value the chance—however slim—to host a playoff game each season. As Mike Tomlin, the Steelers’ head coach, put it, some are “football purists” who believe winning a division should automatically guarantee a home playoff game.
The potential for altered seeding also raises questions about Week 18 strategy. Several teams—the Bills, Chargers, Eagles, and Packers—rested key starters, while the Texans pulled theirs once their AFC South fate was sealed. The Lions’ proposal stemmed from a desire for “competitive equity,” aiming to incentivize more meaningful games down the stretch.
This isn’t a new debate. League officials have reportedly discussed similar proposals, anticipating the future expansion of the regular season to 18 games. A longer season could exacerbate the gap between teams, leading to less compelling late-season contests. With a potential 18th game not being a divisional matchup, divisional games could represent just a third of the schedule, diminishing their importance.
The odds of an NFL team owner getting to host a playoff game would remain the same under the Lions’ proposal: one team from each division would get a home playoff game, mirroring the current system.
Carolina’s playoff berth, despite an 8-9 record, underscores the current system’s quirks. The Panthers are just the fifth team in NFL history (excluding strike-shortened seasons) to host a playoff game with a losing record, and those teams have a 2-4 postseason record. Notably, three of those five teams have come from the NFC South. The 2014 Panthers, with a 7-8-1 record, even managed a playoff win against the NFC West-winning Cardinals, and the Buccaneers made the playoffs at 8-9 three years ago before losing to the Cowboys.
While a rule change remains a possibility as more teams consider the merits, it’s not happening now. The future of NFL playoff seeding remains a topic of ongoing discussion, but for this postseason, the current system stands.
