Detroit Lions Propose 3 Changes to NFL Rules, Including Changing Playoff Rankings

 

As the Detroit Lions continue to make strides in the NFC and become a more competitive team, their approach to team-building and organizational philosophy isn’t limited to just the roster. The Lions have been consistently vocal in their belief that the NFL could do more to level the playing field and create a fairer, more competitive league for all teams. While most teams are focused on player acquisitions and free-agent signings during the offseason, the Detroit Lions are proposing rule changes aimed at improving the structure of the league, particularly in how playoff rankings are determined.

In the 2025 offseason, the Lions’ front office, led by general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, has taken the bold step of formally proposing three changes to NFL rules. These proposed changes focus on several key areas of NFL operations, including the playoff rankings, the division-based system, and the draft order. Their hope is that these changes would improve the overall integrity of the competition and provide a more exciting, balanced, and fair structure in which all teams have a more equitable chance at success.

Among the three proposals, the most notable is the change to how playoff rankings are determined, which has long been a source of contention in the NFL. But the Lions’ proposals also aim to address other concerns, including playoff structure, division titles, and the influence of strength of schedule in playoff positioning. Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Lions’ proposed changes, why they believe these changes are necessary, and the potential impact these modifications could have on the NFL as a whole.

Proposal 1: Change to the NFL Playoff Ranking System

The most significant change proposed by the Detroit Lions is a revised method for ranking teams in the playoffs. Traditionally, NFL playoff seeding has been based on a combination of a team’s overall record and the strength of its division. Under the current system, division winners are guaranteed a top-four seed in their respective conferences, even if they have a worse record than a non-division-winning team. The Lions argue that this structure is flawed and disproportionately rewards teams based solely on their divisional standing, often at the expense of more deserving teams.

The Current System: Division Winner Advantage

Under the current playoff structure, teams are ranked based on their win-loss record, with division winners automatically securing a top-four seed in the playoffs. This means that a team that wins a weak division with a 9-8 record could be awarded a playoff spot ahead of a team that finishes with a better record but does not win their division.

This setup has led to several instances where division winners, despite having a worse overall record, are rewarded with a playoff berth and a higher seed. One of the most memorable examples of this came in the 2021 season, when the NFC East champion Washington Football Team (7-9) was awarded a playoff spot, while teams like the Chicago Bears (8-8) and Arizona Cardinals (8-8) were left on the outside looking in.

The Lions’ Proposal: Best Record-Based Ranking

The Lions propose a shift toward a more merit-based system that would prioritize the overall record of teams in playoff seeding, regardless of their division standing. Under this proposal, division winners would still earn a playoff berth, but playoff seeding would be determined based on overall win-loss record rather than divisional performance.

This would eliminate the current “division winner bias,” which can often unfairly place a team with a losing or mediocre record in a favorable position in the playoff standings. Instead, it would ensure that the teams with the best records are given the highest seeds, regardless of which division they play in.

In practice, this change would look like this:

• The top seven teams in each conference would make the playoffs, but seeding would be based entirely on overall record.
• Division winners would still be guaranteed a playoff berth, but they could be seeded lower if their record was not among the best in the conference.
• This would lead to a more accurate reflection of a team’s performance across the entire season, rewarding the best teams and ensuring that the playoff field is truly made up of the most deserving franchises.

This proposal would particularly benefit wild card teams that perform well over the course of a season but are penalized for being in a competitive division. It would also discourage teams from focusing only on their division schedule to secure a playoff spot, instead encouraging teams to compete at a high level across all opponents.

Proposal 2: Eliminate the “Home-Field Advantage” for Division Winners

Another rule change the Detroit Lions have proposed relates to home-field advantage in the playoffs. Currently, the team with the best overall record in each conference receives home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but division winners are given a significant advantage in hosting playoff games, even if they are ranked lower than wild card teams with better records.

The Current System: A Division Winner’s Home-Field Advantage

Under the current playoff system, division winners are granted a home playoff game, even if they are ranked lower than a wild card team with a better record. This has led to scenarios where a team with a superior record has to play on the road, while a team with a worse record benefits from a home game simply because they won a weaker division.

For example, in the 2021 season, the Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East with a 12-5 record, but the Arizona Cardinals, with an 11-6 record, were forced to play on the road in the Wild Card round. This was despite the Cardinals’ superior record and their much more competitive schedule.

The Lions’ Proposal: Home Field for the Best Record, Regardless of Division

The Lions propose removing the automatic home-field advantage for division winners. Instead, playoff seeding would be determined purely by the best overall records in the league, with the highest-seeded teams earning the right to host playoff games. Under this proposal, a division winner with a worse record than a wild card team would still have to play on the road, ensuring that the most deserving teams, based on performance, are given the advantage of playing at home.

This change would also encourage teams to focus on overall performance throughout the regular season rather than solely aiming for a division title. In turn, it would reduce the possibility of a team with a losing or mediocre record benefiting from an automatic home playoff game, further promoting fairness in the postseason.

Proposal 3: Adjust the NFL Draft Order to Reward Overall Performance

Another proposal from the Lions concerns the NFL draft order and how it is currently determined. Under the current system, teams with the worst records are awarded the highest picks in the draft, regardless of their performance in the last few weeks of the season. While this system is intended to provide struggling teams with a chance to improve by adding top talent, the Lions believe there is room for improvement.

The Current System: The Reverse-Order Draft

The reverse-order draft system gives the team with the worst record the first overall pick, the second-worst record the second pick, and so on. This system rewards teams that finish the season poorly by allowing them to acquire top-tier talent early in the draft. While this has worked in theory, it does not account for teams that may finish poorly due to a poor start but improve significantly in the second half of the season.

The Lions’ Proposal: Adjust Draft Order Based on Final Performance

The Lions have proposed adjusting the draft order to take into account a team’s performance over the entire season, including the final weeks. Under this system, the teams that finish the season with momentum or a better second-half record would receive a slightly better draft position, even if they had a poor overall record. This would encourage teams to keep playing hard throughout the entire season, rather than tanking for a higher draft pick as the season winds down.

For example, if a team finishes the season with a strong final six games, even if they didn’t make the playoffs, they could be awarded a higher draft pick than a team that tanked their last few games to secure a better position. The Lions’ rationale is that teams should be rewarded for improving throughout the season and continuing to play competitively, rather than incentivizing tanking.

Impact of the Proposed Changes

The Detroit Lions’ proposed rule changes would have several far-reaching impacts on the NFL:

1. Fairer Playoff Seeding: By eliminating the automatic advantage for division winners and focusing solely on overall record, teams with better performance throughout the season would be rewarded, which could lead to more deserving teams advancing further in the playoffs.
2. More Competitive Regular Seasons: With a focus on overall performance, teams would be less inclined to “tank” for draft picks or focus solely on division games. This would lead to more competitive matchups throughout the regular season and enhance the overall quality of play.
3. Increased Integrity and Excitement: These changes would also increase the integrity of the league by ensuring that teams that perform well during the season — rather than just relying on divisional dominance — are rewarded in the playoff and draft systems. This would also make the playoff races more exciting, especially in the final weeks of the season.