Happy Labor Day, folks. Those of us with kids will understand the NFL season to be just two short sleeps away.
Roger Goodell has locked in a role as commissioner until at least 2030, and new player safety rules are being finalized. In this newsletter, we take a look at a few factors that could influence the first week of play.
New Player Safety Rules
The NFL and NFLPA have developed a three-strike system. This new rule automatically suspends players who have violated any of five safety rules more than three times. Hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching, blindside blocks, and hits on defenseless players will now all contribute to a three-strike system that immediately activates a suspension when the total number is reached.
This system is designed to make the game of football at least marginally safer.
Returns and Extensions
Harrison Smith is returning for a 15th season with the Vikings. He finalized a $12.25 million single-season deal that continues his long run in Minnesota.
The Giants have also locked in Jameis Winston on a two-year, $13 million contract extension. We've seen a lot of teams bet big on key players, even if it means retaining them for just a season longer.
Week One Marquee Games
NFL Week One is unrolling through a truly unique multi-day schedule, a shuffle that is designed specifically to help bring the game to a global audience.
The Wednesday opener is in and of itself unusual. In the modern era of the game, the season has only kicked off on a Wednesday once. That was back in 2012. This was done largely to make plenty of room for a Thursday night international game.
From there, we get four nights in a row of prime-time national broadcasts: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. This means that instead of an avalanche of games that take place at or near the exact same time, we get an extended, staggered start.
The good news is that fans of the entire league will have an easy time watching any and every game that appeals to them.
Of these, the New England Patriots at Seattle is certainly a marquee game. It's an immediate Super Bowl rematch that will deliver high stakes.
We've also got an NFC West rivalry game in the form of the San Francisco 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams that will take place Thursday, September 10th, streaming only on Netflix. This game will also be the first regular-season game to ever be hosted in Australia. The teams will meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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