Each spring, NFL franchises are allowed to submit proposed rule changes to be considered at the annual league meeting. This year’s meeting will be held on March 30th, and teams have already submitted a few significant suggestions to be weighed in on.
NFL Playoff Re-Seeding
The Detroit Lions have submitted a rule regarding changing the way the league seeds the NFL Playoffs. Currently, the NFL grants the top four seeds in each conference to the teams that won their respective divisions.
The Lions propose that the overall win-loss record should dictate all playoff seeding. If a wild card team has a better record than a division winner, then they will be placed ahead of them in the seeding.
If two franchises finish with the same record, preference will be given to the team that won their division. In the following tweet, the NFL Channel’s Mike Garafolo breaks down how different last year’s playoff matchups would be under this new rule.
From our folks at NFL Research, this is how the seeding would’ve looked for this past postseason under the #Lions’ new proposal to seed by record. So AFC Wild Card weekend would’ve been similar (LAC home vs HOU though) but NFC would’ve been:
LAR at PHI
TB at MIN
GB at WAS pic.twitter.com/0nAvVivtLb— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2025
The Tush Push
The Green Bay Packers are requesting a ban on the “tush push” play that the Philadelphia Eagles employed so effectively during their Super Bowl LIX winning campaign in 2024-25.
The play is a quarterback sneak but with additional help provided by players in the backfield pushing the QB beyond the line to gain.
BetUS Sportsbook has created a line asking whether the “Brotherly Shove” will be disallowed for next season, and the odds imply that it will remain a legal play.
Will The Tush Push Be Banned For The 2025-26 NFL Season?
- Yes +800
The Eagles began employing the play to great success since 2022. Another NFL prop bet for their success rate for next season suggests that Philadelphia will achieve a rate north of 85% when they call the play.
The Eagles Tush Push Success Rate During The 2025-26 NFL Season
- Over 85½ Percent Rate -130
- Under 85½ Percent Rate -110
No Automatic First Downs On Defensive Holding And Illegal Contact
Currently, an automatic first down is awarded when a defense commits a holding or illegal contact penalty in addition to a five-yard gain. The Lions have proposed that a five-yard penalty should be the extent of the punishment.
This penalty allows offenses to continue drives without earning the yards on lengthy down-and-distance situations.