Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is finally here! The NFL is cracking down on player safety for the 2024 season. The league is trying out new XFL-inspired kickoff rules that aim to transform the most boring play in the game. Additionally, the league recently sent out a memo to multiple teams about safety violations ahead of the Week 1 kickoff on Sunday.

20 NFL players, and the teams they play for, received the memo. It emphasizes the importance of player safety and sportsmanship, warning that players will face suspensions for any violations per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

These players include:

  • Kareem Jackson – Buffalo Bills
  • Damontae Kazee – Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Denzel Perryman – Los Angeles Chargers
  • Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Trysten Hill – New England Patriots

The NFL also informed teams last month that the club remittance policy is back. NFL teams can face fines for players who are suspended for safety violations, personal conduct policy issues, and drug suspensions. The league paused this policy during the COVID-19 pandemic but will reactivate it for the 2024 season.

“When a player receives league discipline for a Covered Infraction, the fine amount (or the amount of salary forfeited in the case of a suspension), up to a maximum of $75,000 per infraction, will be counted toward his club's season total,” the NFL's memo to teams said, per ESPN. “For the 2024 season, the Remittance Policy will be triggered when players on a club incur more than $90,000 in fines or suspensions. If that threshold is exceeded, the club will be required to remit an amount equal to the cumulative amount of fines for Covered Infractions incurred by its players.”

Ravens Ronnie Stanley, John Harbaugh critical of NFL officiating after first game of 2024 season

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks on during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
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The NFL is already under fire after the first game of the 2024 season.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and tackle Ronnie Stanley fired back at NFL officiating in the season opener. The Ravens argue that the league called several illegal formation penalties inconsistently, many of which went against Stanley.

“I’m looking at their tackles, especially the right side, and I know I’m lining up in front of that guy,” Stanley said after the game, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “And they didn’t call him one time. It’s a little bit of making me feel like I’m crazy, (that) I don’t know where I’m lining up.”

Harbaugh defended his player's comments after the game. Harbaugh also challenged NFL officials to call illegal formation penalties consistently throughout the 2024 season.

“They put a thing out that they said they were going to call that differently,” Harbaugh said. “I think understanding how differently we were the first offensive series of the season with that. I think they saw probably everyone watching it. It'll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season. I'll challenge them to call it the same way they called it tonight the whole season.”

NFL fans will have officiating under the microscope as Week 1 kicks off in full on Sunday.