NFL Seeding Change Would Have Impacted Packers’ Playoff Fate

A dramatic change to playoff seeding will be voted on by team at next week’s owners meetings in Minneapolis.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) rushes the ball against Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFL is considering a change to playoff seeding that would have had a major impact on the Green Bay Packers if in place last year.

At next week’s NFL owners meetings in Minneapolis, teams will consider a proposal by the Detroit Lions, of all teams, that would seed the seven playoff teams by record and would discard almost any benefit attached to winning the division.

Nothing demonstrates the impact better than this illustration.

Last Year’s NFC Playoffs

1. Detroit Lions (NFC North champion): 15-2

2. Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East champion): 14-3

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South champion): 10-7

4. Los Angeles Rams (NFC West champion): 10-7

5. Minnesota Vikings (NFC North No. 2): 14-3

6. Washington Commanders (NFC East No. 2): 12-5

7. Green Bay Packers (NFC North No. 3): 11-6

Last Year’s NFC Playoffs Under Proposal

1. Detroit Lions (NFC North champion): 15-2

2. Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East champion): 14-3

3. Minnesota Vikings (NFC North No. 2): 14-3

4. Washington Commanders (NFC East No. 2): 12-5

5. Green Bay Packers (NFC North No. 3): 11-6

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South champion): 10-7

7. Los Angeles Rams (NFC West champion): 10-7

The Eagles would have been the No. 2 over the Vikings because they won the NFC East. Under the proposal, the lone upside to winning the division would be in a tiebreaker against a wild-card team.

Under the proposal, the Packers as the fifth seed would have played at the fourth-seeded Washington Commanders in the wild-card game rather than at the Philadelphia Eagles. Ultimately, the Eagles beat the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

Nothing would have changed in 2023, when the Packers were the No. 7 seed and beat the No. 2 seed Cowboys in Dallas in the wild-card round.

Why the possible change? As noted by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Lions’ proposal reads, “Competitive equity. Provides excitement and competition in late-season games. Rewards the best-performing teams from the regular season.”

Last year, the Eagles and Rams used Week 18 as a bye week. In the case of Philadelphia, it had locked up the No. 2 seed. Under the proposal, the Eagles could have fallen behind Minnesota and slipped to the No. 3 seed.

“When you look at it the last two years in the playoffs, we’ve lost to a Super Bowl champion [the Eagles in 2024], we lost to a team that went to the Super Bowl [the 49ers in 2023],” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said during the offseason. “I think our league is as competitive as any league in the world and so, I do think it would be nice to get back to taking control of the division to get a home playoff game.”

The proposal would eliminate some of the need to win the division. The Vikings, for instance, would have been the No. 1 seed had they defeated the Lions in Week 18 of last season. Instead, they were the No. 5 seed and lost at the Rams in the wild-card round. Under the proposal, the Vikings would have been the No. 3 seed and would have hosted the Buccaneers.

Meanwhile, the Tush Push ban will be back on the agenda. The Packers are the public face of the proposal; as it stands, the proposal has not changed from March.