NFL owners confirmed the permanent adoption of new kickoff rules while sidelining the Detroit Lions' proposal for revised playoff seeding at the recent annual meeting. The Lions aimed to change the playoff format to allow wild card teams to be seeded above division champions based on regular-season records, a move that received only moderate support from the owners. Rich McKay, co-chairman of the NFL's competition committee, stated that the tradition of valuing division titles remains strong among owners, making substantial changes unlikely in the near future.

During the meeting, discussions also encompassed a proposal from the Green Bay Packers to ban the 'tush push' play, which saw significant success with the Philadelphia Eagles. Lions coach Dan Campbell expressed his support for keeping the play, emphasizing the need to find ways to counter successful strategies rather than eliminate them. While various proposals were discussed, including overtime regulations and replay expansions, the fate of the Lions' playoff proposal will be reconsidered in the May meeting.