NFL owners expected to vote on new playoff format, plus ranking the best game each week on the NFL schedule

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! 

The NFL rulebook could be undergoing a few changes this week. The league’s 32 owners are getting together in Minneapolis starting on Tuesday, and during their time together, they’re expected to vote on several rule proposals.

The most notable one is probably the NFL playoffs. The current format could be undergoing a change and we’ll be breaking it down below. The owners will also likely be voting on whether they “Tush Push” should be banned, which will be one other thing to watch. 

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let’s get to the rundown. 

1. NFL owners expected to vote on new playoff format this week

The NFL playoff format could be undergoing a slight change heading into the 2025 season, but it’s not a done deal just yet. The NFL’s 32 owners will be getting together in Minneapolis this week and they’re expected to vote on a new format. 

The owners had the chance to vote on a potential playoff change at the annual league meeting back in March, but after debating the issue, it was decided that the talks would be tabled until the next owners’ meeting, which will be happening Tuesday and Wednesday. 

This time around, a vote will likely be happening, but the owners will be voting on a modified version of what was proposed in March.

Here’s what you need to know: 

• What the new format would likely be. The owners are expected to vote on a proposal to reseed the playoffs, but only AFTER the first round, according to ESPN. According to The Athletic, the modified proposal would look similar to what we see now, at least in the wild-card round: There would be seven playoffs teams in each conference — four division winners and three wild-card teams — and the division winners would all get to host a game (The top seed would get a bye and then the second through fourth seeds would host a wild-card game). The big change would come in the divisional round, where the NFL would re-seed the playoffs based on who has the best record. If this format had been in existence last year, it would have had a huge impact on the NFC playoffs. The Lions (15-2) would have hosted the team with the worst record in the divisional round and that would have been the Rams (10-7). Instead, they hosted the Commanders (12-5). Under the proposed format, the Commanders would have played the Eagles (14-3) in the divisional round). The proposed format wouldn’t have had any impact on last year’s AFC playoffs. 
• The original proposal. The original playoff proposal from March was dramatically different and although the owners could still consider it this week, it seems highly unlikely. Under the original proposal, seven teams in each conference would still make the playoffs with four division champions and three wild-card teams. However, the big change is that the teams would have been seeded by who has the best record. Under this proposal, a wild-card team could have been seeded ahead of a division winner if the wild-card team had a better record. This means there’s a chance that division winners could have been playing road games in the wild-card round, which isn’t possible under the modified proposal. If this original proposal would have been in place in 2024, the NFC playoffs would have looked much different (You can see what the proposed bracket would have looked like here). 
• Why owners will likely be voting on a modified proposal. The owners could have voted on the original proposal in March, but they decided to hold off until this meeting. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported on Friday that the original proposal was almost certainly going to face some pushback at the owners’ meeting, which is likely why a modified proposal was introduced. 

If you want the full details on what the proposal would look like, including how many teams from the 2024 playoffs would have been impacted, you can check that out here. 

2. NFL schedule: Ranking the best game each week

The NFL regular season is 18 weeks long so Tyler Sullivan decided to go through and pick the best game from each week. Basically, if you only have time to watch one game each week, this is definitely the one you should be watching.

There are a few weeks in here where Tyler’s job was simple. For instance, the Chiefs’ Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles is easily the top game of Week 2. 

Not every week is that obvious, though. WIth that in mind, let’s check out the best game for four different weeks on the schedule:  

Week 1: Cowboys at Eagles (Thursday, Sept. 4). “Sure, the opening Week 1 slate is loaded with high-profile games (like Baltimore vs. Buffalo on “Sunday Night Football”), but the opener has the juice. Philadelphia is set to unveil its latest Super Bowl championship banner and begin its title defense.”

Week 3: Bengals at Vikings (Sunday, Sept. 21). “There are a few games to choose from in the Week 3 slate, including Lions vs. Ravens on Monday night. However, this matchup between Cincinnati and Minnesota should garner plenty of interest with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will head to U.S. Bank Stadium and see their former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson as they take on the Vikings.”

Week 6: Bears at Commanders (Monday, Oct. 13). “It’s not hyperbole to say that the trajectory of the 2024 season changed after the Commanders beat the Bears on a Hail Mary last season. On top of that recent history, this is a stellar quarterback matchup between the No. 1 overall pick and No. 2 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft in Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.”

Week 15: Lions at Rams (Sunday, Dec. 14). “This matchup between Detroit and Los Angeles could be an NFC Championship preview and/or a slugfest as they try to earn a head-to-head tiebreaker for seeding purposes.”

Tyler’s made a list of 18 must-see games where, and you can see his full list here. 

3. Best rookie matchups on the 2025 NFL schedule

Last year, the top rookie matchup was a pretty easy one to pick out: It was Chicago’s Caleb Williams vs. Washington’s Jayden Daniels in a game that saw the No. 2 overall pick throw a Hail Mary to beat the No. 1 overall pick. This year, things aren’t so simple. 

Josh Edwards ranked the top 10 rookie matchups on the schedule and we’re going to take a look at my three favorite ones from his list: 

• Giants at Patriots in Week 13: EDGE Abdul Carter vs. OT Will Campbell. “The No. 3 overall selection versus the No. 4 overall selection. The Patriots’ left tackle of the present and future against the prospect who drew Von Miller comparisons leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. Campbell will likely see the triumvirate of Burns, Thibodeaux and Carter over the course of the game.”
• Jaguars at Broncos in Week 15: Travis Hunter vs. Jahdae Barron. “Barron will spend the majority of his time over the slot, featured between Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss. Hunter will be moved around the formation as well to capitalize on his ability to create plays post-catch. Given the breakout of Brian Thomas Jr. last season, Surtain may draw that assignment, which theoretically frees Hunter.”
• Saints at Titans in Week 17: QB Tyler Shough vs. QB Cam Ward. “Shough and Ward will not square off in the conventional sense, but they will be leading their teams against one another, in all likelihood. Following Derek Carr’s retirement, the quarterback competition in New Orleans boils down to Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Shough, but it would be moderately surprising if Shough did not emerge victorious.”

Josh has seven more rookie matchups and you see his full rankings here. 

4. When Aaron Rodgers might sign with the Steelers

One of the biggest questions that still needs to be answered this offseason is whether Aaron Rodgers is going to play this year. At this point, it seems like his decision is going to go one of two ways: Either he’s going to sign with the Steelers or he’s going to retire. 

It’s impossible to say for sure, but it does seem like Rodgers wants to play at least one more season. So if he’s going to sign with Pittsburgh, when will that happen? The author who wrote Rodgers’ biography, Ian O’Connor, offered some hints over the weekend during an interview with 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh. 

• Rodgers’ personal issues will be solved by the end of May. During an interview in April, Rodgers said he was dealing with some issues in his personal life, which is one of the reasons why he had yet to make a decision about his NFL future. According to O’Connor, those issues should be resolved soon. “I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be solved by the end of May, at least in my satisfaction where I can give you my all.’ So that’s where I think he is,” O’Connor said, via SteelersDepot.com. O’Connor also added that he didn’t think the personal issue was one that would keep Rodgers from eventually signing in Pittsburgh. “The sense I got was, I think I have a pretty good sense of what it is, and I don’t think it’s something that would prevent him from playing football.”
• Rodgers could sign after OTAs and minicamp are over. Rodgers plans to sign with the Steelers, but is taking his time. “I just think verbally, behind the scenes, not that he guaranteed it, but he’s told [the Steelers], ‘Listen, I’m gonna play for you. I just don’t want to go there and then miss part of mandatory minicamp because of my personal issues,” O’Connor said. Rodgers is a big story now, but it would have been an even bigger story if he had signed with the Steelers in March and then skipped both OTAs and minicamp. The easiest way to get out of those practices is to not sign. Rodgers skipped minicamp with the Jets last year to visit Egypt and that became a gigantic headline.  
• Probable timeline for his signing. The Steelers have mandatory minicamp from June 10 thru 12, but after that, they don’t practice again until training camp starts in late July. If Rodgers isn’t interested in attending minicamp, then he’ll almost certainly be signing a deal with the Steelers at some point between June 13 and the start of training camp. If Rodgers decides he DOES want to go to minicamp, he could sign in early June so he can attend the three-day practice session.  

No one seems to know what’s going on with Rodgers, but O’Connor is certainly more informed than most. You can read more about O’Connor’s comments here. 

5. Brock Purdy lands huge $265 million extension: Four things to know

After making just $985,000 in base salary last season, Brock Purdy will be getting a huge raise this year. The 25-year-old, who was the FINAL pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has agreed to a massive extension with the 49ers. 

Here are four things to know: 

• Purdy is now one of the 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. The 49ers quarterback will be signing a five-year, $265 million deal that includes $181 million in guaranteed money. At $53 million per year, Purdy is now tied with Jared Goff as the seventh-highest paid QB in the NFL. Being one of the highest-paid quarterbacks hasn’t exactly worked out for anyone, though: The 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL have combined to win zero Super Bowls. 
• Purdy has a no-trade clause. Not only is Purdy getting paid, but he’ll also have some say in where he goes next if he ever leaves San Francisco. According to NFL Media, Purdy has a no-trade clause, which means he can veto any deal if the 49ers ever decide they want to deal him away. 
• Why the 49ers made the deal. Purdy has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks since taking over the starting QB job late in the 2022 season. Not only is Purdy 23-13 in 36 career starts, but he has a career QB rating of 104.9, which is the highest in NFL HISTORY for any QB with at least 1,000 passing attempts. 
• 49ers won’t win a Super Bowl with Purdy, according to Rams’ star. Puka Nacua made some interesting comments last month that we’re going to resurface now because they have to do with Purdy. Nacua said the 49ers’ Super Bowl window will close completely if they give Purdy a contract worth more than $50 million per year. “They have a chance to still be in their window. And I think if he goes for a 5 [$50 million-plus], then the window closes,” Nacua said. Someone probably needs to go ahead and send that one to Old Takes Exposed. You can read Nacua’s full comments here. 

Thanks to the new deal, Purdy is now under contract with the 49ers through the 2030 season. We’ve got the full story on Purdy’s extension here. 

6. Extra points: Netflix wants more NFL games

This is always a busy time in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that’s happening, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Netflix eyeing more NFL games. Netflix has two NFL games for 2025 and the streaming company might be looking to add more in the future. CNBC’s Alex Sherman had an interesting conversaion with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently. “I spoke to Ted Sarandos. He admitted to me, like, ‘Yeah, I talked to Roger Goodell on the side about adding even more games beyond our two Christmas games. We just need to figure out a way to eventize these games,'” Sherman said, via AwfulAnnouncing.com. If Netflix is looking to “eventize” games, that likely means they’ll be looking stream more standalone games like the two they get to show for Christmas this year. Since Netflix is available internationally, one thing that could make sense is adding a few international games. 
• 49ers add kicker to compete with Jake Moody. The 49ers could have a new kicker this year. The team has signed Greg Joseph, who will now compete with Moody for the kicking job in San Francisco. Moody actually started off strong last year by hitting 13 of his first 14 field goals, but he sprained his ankle, and returning from that injury, he just wasn’t the same, going 11 of 20 over his final nine games. Overall, he went 24 of 34 and his 70.6% conversion rate ranked near the bottom of the NFL. 
• Jets cut Greg Zuerlein. The Jets have decided to move on from Zuerlein, which means they’re going to have a new kicker in 2025. Zuerlein is coming off the worst season of his 13-year career: He hit just 60% of his field goal attempts during a year where he missed nine games due to injury. Anders Carlson and Caden Davis are the only two kickers on the roster, so they’ll be competing for the job, but it won’t be surprising if New York adds someone else to the competition by the time training camp rolls around. 
• Jamal Adams wants to return to the Jets. The former All-Pro safety would like to make a return to New York. “I would love to be back with the Jets and, obviously, finish it the right way,” Adams said Wednesday on The Jets Lounge. “Man, that would be a dream come true, just to patch up that relationship and kind of make it right.” Adams has struggled since being traded out of New York in 2020, so it seems unlikely the Jets will show any interest, but it’s possible they could look at add him for some veteran leadership. You can read Adams’ full comments here. 
• Joe Douglas returning to Philadelphia. After being fired as the Jets general manager during the 2024 season, Douglas is heading back to familiar territory. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Douglas has landed a role in the Eagles’ front office. Before taking the Jets’ GM job in 2020, Douglas served as the Eagles’ vice president of player personnel for four seasons (2016-19).