Lions’ Proposal to Change Playoff Seeding Sparks Divided Opinions

NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 — The NFL‘s Competition Committee on Tuesday confirmed that it has tabled a proposal from the Detroit Lions aimed at changing the postseason seeding format, rather than outright rejecting it. The proposal sought to allow Wild Card teams to be seeded higher than Division Champions if the Wild Card team has a better regular season record.

Chairman of the Competition Committee Rich McKay acknowledged the decision to table the measure indicates that there is some support for potential change. However, he emphasized that discussions like this have occurred in past seasons without leading to significant alterations. “And it always gets back to, the traditionalist says, ‘I want to win the division. I want the division to mean something,’” McKay explained during the league meetings.

He elaborated on the traditional perspective that values division titles, stating, “Well ‘something’ could be that you qualify for the playoffs. That’s something. But people say, ‘No, I want to host a playoff game.’” McKay also noted concerns about diminishing the significance of division championships, which he believes have historically been beneficial for the league structure.

Discussion points included a potential compromise, where a division winner would still secure a home playoff game unless their record was .500 or below, a suggestion that generated mixed reactions among league officials. “It was a long discussion; it was a good discussion,” McKay concluded, hinting at potential further discourse in future meetings.

Among the coaches expressing their views, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, New Orleans’ Sean Payton, and Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay voiced their opposition to the proposed change, emphasizing the importance of winning the division. Dan Quinn, head coach of the Washington Commanders and former assistant coach in the NFL, recounted his experience during the 2010 playoffs, when he was part of the Seahawks team that clinched a post-season berth at 7-9. “I would be really bummed,” Quinn admitted, echoing concerns regarding the proposed seeding structure.

In a separate development during the league meetings, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll spoke about the team’s quarterback situation. While Daboll has not announced who will be calling offensive plays, he confirmed that Russell Wilson has secured the No. 1 quarterback position. Daboll stated he is focusing on constructing an offense that maximizes Wilson’s strengths.

“He makes great explosive plays and does a good job making decisions with the football,” Daboll said, highlighting Wilson’s ability as a deep ball thrower. He also expressed confidence in wide receivers Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, who he believes will complement Wilson’s skill set well. “We’ve got some fast guys on the perimeter and we have some big, young tight ends that can get down the seam,” Daboll noted.

Despite Wilson’s inconsistent past performances in Denver and Pittsburgh, Daboll is optimistic about the quarterback’s potential impact on the Giants’ offense. “Making sure those qualities shine through on the field will be my top priority this year,” he added.