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NFL Owners Considering Making a Radical Rule Change

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated May 17, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Next week, NFL owners are going to be voting on a major change to the rules when it comes to playoff positioning.

The Detroit Lions are proposing that the four division champions and three wild-card teams in each conference be seeded by their record instead of giving the top four seeds specifically to division winners.

Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer detailed the proposal:

"Detroit’s proposal would be for the four division champions and three wild cards in each conference to make the playoffs," Breer wrote. "Those seven teams would then be seeded strictly by record, rather than assigning the top seeds to the division winners (which is how it’s been done since the merger), with the wild cards to follow. If teams have the same record, being a division champion would be the first tiebreaker—regardless of head-to-head record."

Outside of the playoff rule change, owners will also be voting on the Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the tush push, a play the Philadelphia Eagles have run with great success over the past three seasons and which has been adopted by other teams.

Breer also provided more details on that side of the vote.

"The proposal says an offensive player can’t 'immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate, who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage,'" he wrote. "Coaches asked for more clarity with the original writing of the rule, at the meetings in March."

Both changes could very well occur next week. There is no telling how the votes will go, but NFL fans will be keeping a close eye on them.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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