Could the NFL be changing the seeding of the playoff format?

The NFC North was the toughest division in the NFL during the 2024 season. The Detroit Lions took the crown for the second straight season, with the team finishing 15-2.

However, it took beating the Minnesota Vikings in the last game of the regular season to wrap up the NFC North crown. The Vikings finished this past season with a 14-3 record.

Even though they were tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the second-best record in the NFC, the Vikings had to start their postseason journey on the road. That game would end up being a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, who finished the regular season 10-7 but won the NFC West.

The Detroit Lions have proposed a rule change that will "allow Wild Card teams to be seeded higher than Division Champions if the Wild Card team has a better regular season record." More on that below from January https://t.co/8axaFtuFDC
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 19, 2025

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones is reporting that the Lions have proposed a rule change that could allow Wild Card teams to be seeded higher than division champions if the Wild Card team has a better regular season record.

This potential move has long been a debate around NFL fan circles. It is hard to see a team have such a successful regular season and then have to go on the road to play the NFC South champions, who probably have eight wins.

The NFL should be adopting how the NBA conducts its postseason standings. Divisions will still matter, but the overall record should be the story of how a team gets its postseason seeding. One could say that this is the Lions looking out for their division. However, the Vikings probably wish this was passed a year sooner.

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