Roger Goodell Weighs In on New NFL Playoff Seeding Idea
For years, the NFL has stuck with a playoff system that guarantees division winners a top spot in their conference, even if their records don’t stack up against other teams.
Last season, this led to teams like the Buccaneers and Rams snagging high seeds despite their 10-7 records while the Vikings, who won 14 games, ended up ranked lower.
Now, the Detroit Lions have pitched a new idea: what if playoff spots were decided purely by record, rather than division wins?
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the proposal “healthy” and said the league is open to exploring the change, according to Jonathan Jones.
The issue stems from a few weaker divisions, where teams can top their group with a so-so record and still get a playoff advantage. Under the current system, home-field advantage is tied to seeding, not overall wins, making the Lions’ idea even more appealing.
The NBA faced a similar issue in the past and eventually switched to a record-based seeding format. Meanwhile, the last major NFL playoff tweak came in 2020 when the league added a third wild-card team per conference.
Could another shake-up be on the horizon? Stay tuned.
Goodell Weighs In: What He Really Thinks About Playoff Seeding Changes
