The NFL Playoff schedule for the Divisional Round was recently released as the 2025 season moves closer towards a conclusion. A former head coach with a Super Bowl ring responded to the scheduling announcement and called out unfair advantages for certain teams. He blasted the league for their motives and offered a fair solution.
Why Did a Former Head Coach Call Out the NFL for Its Unfair Playoff Schedule?
The playoff schedule for the Divisional Round was released following the conclusion of Sunday Night Football in the Wild Card Round. Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy pointed out that which teams play on specific dates creates unfair advantages for some teams. He explained what he believes is the issue and offered a simple solution to resolve it.
“NFL playoff scheduling is not fair. It might produce good ratings but it’s not fair … Several years ago the league did away with Monday Night games in Week 18 of the regular season because it created a disadvantage if one of those teams made the playoffs. Now we create that disadvantage.”
“The Wild Card round should be 3 games on Saturday and 3 games on Sunday. Then try to schedule the Divisional games so the teams have equal rest. Don’t force San Francisco, Buffalo and Houston or Pittsburgh to play the most important game of their season on a short week just for TV ratings,” stated Dungy.
NFL playoff scheduling is nottony fair. It might produce good ratings but it’s not fair.
This late in the season recovery time is crucial and it is not given equally. Rams & Bears played Saturday games. They will face each other on Sunday with an extra day of rest. 49ers played on… pic.twitter.com/JSwYeZTAEX— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) January 12, 2026
He specifically mentioned the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, as well as the winner of the final Wild Card round game between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, as the three teams at a serious disadvantage entering the Divisional Round. They will all be forced to play their next game on a short week, and against a team either on full rest or extended rest, as the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are coming off a bye.
The Broncos and Seahawks both rank inside of the top three defenses in PFSN’s Impact Rankings, and getting to face potentially compromised teams next Saturday that played last Sunday could be an unfair advantage. The Texans and Steelers automatically received the disadvantage of decreased rest for the second round as soon as their game was announced for Monday Night Football in the opening round.
Dungy offered a simple solution to resolve the playoff schedule issues he pointed out this year. He suggested that winning teams should play on the same weekend day in each round to make sure they have the same amount of rest as any other team that isn’t on a first-round bye. He also wants to eliminate MNF in the Wild Card round, which was already a controversial decision to add to the schedule in the first place.
