Last year, the league office cajoled the Lions into proposing a new way of seeding the playoffs, with division champions no longer guaranteed a home game. It was tabled from March to May before being withdrawn.
Which means there wasn't nearly enough support for it.
The seeding concept has yet to be mentioned as the 2026 offseason rules cycle unfolds. And it won't be, for now.
When the regular season inevitably expands from 17 to 18 games, it will be back on the table, we're told. Depending on whether 345 Park Avenue can twist enough arms into a thumb's up, it may be adopted.
The Commissioner wants the change in order to make late-season games more compelling. Basic fairness can't be ignored, however, when it comes to scheduling. The current rotational approach aimed at ensuring all teams play all other teams at least every four years makes it easier for one division to produce multiple stellar records, with eight games against the four teams of two different divisions. Often, the rotation lines up just right for the teams of one division, allowing them to play nearly half of their schedules against all teams from two of the weakest divisions.
If the division champion will be competing with second- (and third-) place teams from another division for one of the top four seeds, the schedule will need to have more conference games and fewer interconference contests. At some point, the annual home-and-home approach within each division may need to be revisited.
These are details that will take a back seat to the broader goal of having the playoff tree better reflect total wins and losses. Which, while dormant, isn't dead.
Again, it'll return when the league moves to 18 games. That could happen, in theory, as soon as 2027.