2026 NFL season primer: Rule changes, notable games and more things to know entering Week 1

As the league embarks on a new campaign on Wednesday it is time to make sure everyone is up to speed on all the changes that unfolded over the last seven months. In some ways, it is hard to believe it has been that long since the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots and hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The NFL is such a year-round operation that it dominated headlines even in its quietest months.

There are a few new rules to learn before the Seahawks and Patriots return to the field in the first game of the 2026 season. There are also some schedule quirks unique to the upcoming campaign that everyone needs to be familiar with ahead of time. This year also brings a large batch of fresh uniforms and the opening of the doors to a new stadium.

Here are all of the changes to know ahead of the 2026 season. Of the five playing rules changes the NFL approved at the Annual League Meeting in March, only four will actually apply to the 2026 season. The fifth would have permitted the league office to correct clear officiating mistakes in the event of an NFL Referees Association work stoppage, but a new collective bargaining agreement prevented the need for replacement officials in the first place.

The following rule changes will, however, be active. Additionally, during the final week of the preseason, the NFL and NFL Players Association voted to implement a new suspension rule for certain penalties. Any player who commits three offenses of any of the following penalties will receive a one-game suspension.

All players begin the 2026 season with a clean slate, but violations will carry forward into subsequent seasons. If a player commits just one violation, they will receive 50% of their fine back at the end of the campaign. Half of the regular season's 18 weeks will feature an international game as the NFL expands its footprint outside the United States.

For the first time, there will be nine games on foreign soil, the first of which comes right out of the gate as the second contest of the season. This year marks the inaugural Australia game, the third game in Brazil (and first in Rio de Janeiro) and the debut France game. Here is the full international schedule: Teams had better get used to this kind of travel, because the international slate is only going to get larger.