2025 NFL playoff rules: Five teams most likely to benefit from proposed seeding adjustments

NFL owners could revise the postseason structure

The 2025 NFL season could be the first to feature an all-new playoff format, with team owners set to vote on a proposal by the Detroit Lions to reseed the postseason starting in the divisional round. While division winners would still host wild-card playoff games, the new structure would allow teams with better records -- even wild-card teams -- to host division winners in the second round of the playoffs, further rewarding their regular-season results.

The Lions' initial proposal, brought to NFL owners in March, would have reseeded the entire playoffs starting in the wild-card round, meaning all seven teams from each conference to make the postseason would be seeded in order of regular-season record. The modified proposal would essentially leave the wild-card round as is. Still, non-division winners with good regular-season records would benefit from the change if they advance to the divisional round.

Which specific teams would be most likely to benefit from the rule adjustment in 2025? Here are five candidates, including a couple of potential Super Bowl contenders, and one who didn't make the playoffs at all in 2024:

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens won the AFC North in 2024, but their rival Cincinnati Bengals are poised to put up a good fight, so long as Joe Burrow is upright and slinging it as usual. There's also the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could be a touch scrappier if a certain someone ends up under center. On the off chance Lamar Jackson and Co. can't hold onto the division crown, there's still a pathway for Baltimore to end up hosting a playoff game.

Cincinnati Bengals

They missed the playoffs entirely in 2024, and if their defense doesn't turn some kind of corner, well, it might not matter how prolific Joe Burrow is at quarterback. Yet the pressure to outlast the entire North wouldn't be nearly as great if postseason seeds reward a strong record in a stacked division more than a measly record in a weak one.

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Green Bay Packers

The NFC North was a powerhouse division in 2024, and it's shaping up to be even more formidable this time around. The Detroit Lions are still the class of the quartet after securing the NFC's No. 1 seed a year ago, and they figure to remain one of the NFL's top offenses. The rival Minnesota Vikings also have an enviable setup for their young quarterback, and the Chicago Bears should be better after surrounding Caleb Williams with more help. All that said, the Packers might be most likely to finish No. 2, yet still boast one of the league's top records.

Los Angeles Rams

The reigning NFC West champions could face a steeper challenge for the division title in 2025, with the San Francisco 49ers returning to health, the Arizona Cardinals bolstering their defense and the Seattle Seahawks touting a sterling "D" of their own, despite plenty of turnover on the other side. If Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford and Co. still produce their typical offensive results, though, they should remain a 10-win operation.

Washington Commanders

The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles probably deserve to remain NFC East favorites until further notice; they still possess some of the game's top talent at premium positions. There's perhaps no team with more long-term intrigue than the Commanders, however, especially after Jayden Daniels nearly reached the Super Bowl in Year 1 as their magical signal-caller. Even another runner-up finish might earn them a home playoff game.