The Detroit Lions won't admit this publicly, but they might already be afraid of what Ben Johnson's arrival could mean for the Chicago Bears.
Playoff seeding hasn't been of much concern for the Bears, with losing marks in each of the past three seasons, but Johnson, now serving as the team's head coach, has heightened the expectations of the 2025 season. With Johnson as their head coach, an offseason in which the offensive line has been dramatically improved, and Caleb Williams finally being paired with an offensive-minded head coach, many are picking the Bears to be the surprise team to reach the playoffs.
The Lions are taking note of that expectation and seem to be making a desperate plea to the NFL to change the playoff seeding rules. Albert Breer details a proposal that will officially be reviewed next week. Beyond the seeding being based on record, regardless of whether a team is a division winner or a Wild-Card team, there would also be a reseeding after the first round of the playoffs.
"A change in Detroit’s proposal from March is for the teams then to be reseeded after the first round. So, in this case, the No. 1 seed would play the lowest-remaining seed in the conference, rather than automatically facing the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup, with the other two remaining teams playing in the other divisional round game," Breer explained for Sports Illustrated
Dare we say the Lions are already avoiding the Bears?
If the proposal passes, this would have dramatic implications for the NFC North teams. If the Bears do meet their heightened expectations with Johnson, and the Minnesota Vikings do not take a step backwards with JJ McCarthy, the division could be the best group of teams in the NFC. If that's the case, instead of the Lions, in theory, playing a team like the Bears after the first round of the playoffs, they could play a lesser Wild-Card team instead. Of course, that would mean the Bears reaching a level of relevance they haven't had since 2018. But, hey, with Johnson, anything is now possible.