The Detroit Lions proposed 3 rules for the 2025 season, including a drastic change to playoff seeding.
The NFL owners meetings are at the end of the month in Florida, which will give teams their first opportunity to vote on rule changes for the 2025 season. As they have in previous years, the Detroit Lions are active again in proposing new rules for the season ahead. Detroit has three new rules they hope to get passed this offseason.
1. Eliminate automatic first downs on illegal contact and defense holding penalties
Currently, these 5-yard infractions carry a stipulation that the offense be awarded an automatic first down. This can prove costly on third-and-long situations despite the relatively minor infraction.
2. Change playoff seeding so that Wild Card teams with a better record get a higher seed than a division winner
This proposal is clearly inspired by how the 2024 NFC North played out. Entering the final week of the season, the Lions and Vikings were both 14-2 and were set to face off in the regular season finale. The winner would earn the NFC’s top seed, while the loser dropped all the way to the fifth seed, forcing them to go on the road in the opening round of the playoffs despite having the second-best record in the conference.
Under this proposal, there are still autobids for division winners, but the order of seeding is completely determined by record. Winning the division no longer automatically means you’ll host a playoff game.
3. Players placed on IR before cutdown date do not count against the team’s 90-man roster limit
Currently, any player who is placed on IR before the cutdown date counts against the 90-man roster. Because these players are not eligible to return from IR, the Lions are proposing that they do not occupy a roster spot once placed on IR.
