Rich McKay, Chairman of the Competition Committee, shared that there was a lengthy and thoughtful discussion on the Lions’ proposal to modify the playoff seeding format. On Tuesday, it came as a bit of a surprise when the league chose to table, rather than outright reject, Detroit’s proposal. The Lions’ suggestion aimed to allow Wild Card teams to be seeded above Division Champions if their regular season record was superior.
McKay noted that the decision to table the proposal signifies there is some level of support for the potential change. However, he also acknowledged that this conversation has come up before and the core debate remains the same. “It always circles back to the traditionalists arguing that winning the division should mean something,” McKay explained. “To them, ‘something’ means qualifying for the playoffs, but they also want to ensure that winning the division gives you the opportunity to host a playoff game.” McKay further added, “We must be careful not to devalue the significance of division championships, as they have proven to be an important structure for us.”
One possible compromise discussed was to allow a home playoff game only for division winners who achieve a record above .500. While this was part of the conversation, McKay emphasized that further exploration is needed, though he cautioned that the proposal might not resurface in May. He mentioned that the discussion could shift depending on future changes, such as a possible extension of the season.
Regarding opinions from coaches, several prominent figures, including Mike Tomlin, Sean Payton, and Sean McVay, voiced opposition to changing the seeding format, stressing the importance of winning the division. Washington’s Dan Quinn, who had a key role in the historic “Beastquake” run with the 7-9 Seahawks, also expressed his reluctance to support the change.
