Every offseason each NFL team is permitted the opportunity to submit rule changes for the league to consider and potentially introduce the following season. And, every offseason, some teams take advantage of that opportunity. Occasionally rules are adopted; most are not.
On Wednesday the full list of proposals from the willing organizations was released. The Detroit Lions were one of three teams to submit suggested rule changes and generated the most buzz with two dramatic proposals—one around NFL playoff seeding, and one around defensive holding and illegal contact penalties.
The playoff seeding is the most extreme and one that isn't too surprising to see come from Detroit. The Lions propose that wild-card teams can be seeded over divisional winners if their record is better. Specifically, they suggest the No. 1 seed still be determined by the best record in the conference by a division winner, but the 2 through 7 seeds be determined purely by record.
Right now, seeds 1-4 are reserved for division winners, and wild card teams get 5-7 regardless of the wins or losses. The complications with this setup reared their heads in Week 18 of the 2024 season when the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings to secure the No. 1 seed. Because the Vikings failed to win the NFC North with the loss, they dropped to the No. 5 seed despite ending the year tied for the second-most wins in the NFC. The setup the Lions propose is more akin to the NBA playoffs, where seeding is determined purely by record no matter what.
The Lions' other proposal could resonate with fans. Detroit wants to change the rules around defensive holding and illegal contact penalties; in particular the Lions want to change the rule so that those penalties do not draw automatic first downs. As it stands, if a flag is thrown for either penalty, the offense gets a first down no matter the down or distance.
If the NFL were to adopt these changes the landscape would look a lot different next season, both on and off the field.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lions Propose Dramatic Rule Changes to NFL Playoff Seeding, Defensive Holding Penalty.
