NFL Week 1: Donald out, Mahomes in and other key things to watch for

Between changes to the schedule, new rules, stars we will miss this weekend and QB doubts across the league, there's a lot to watch out for.

Here are five key things to keep in mind as the regular season comes to a start, streaming live on DAZN .

Season will start on a Wednesday

For only the second time in modern NFL history, the regular season will start on a Wednesday.

We will see a Super Bowl LX rematch, as the New England Patriots face the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field this Wednesday.

The only other time we've seen a season start midweek was in 2012, when the opener was moved to avoid a ratings hit as President Barack Obama was scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention that Thursday.

This time, however, the opener was moved due to the game that will be taking place on Thursday in Australia, giving both the Rams and 49ers a chance to fly back to the US and adapt to the time zone while also having the champions play the first game of the season.

Rule changes for the 2026 season

This season will feature four new rule changes as agreed upon at the Annual League Meeting back in March.

1. The kicking team may declare an onside kick at any time
2. Touchbacks place the ball on the receiving team's 20-yard line if the kickoff starts at the 50
3. The receiving team must have a minimum of five players in the setup zone with their front foot on the setup line
4. Players who commit three offenses of certain penalties will receive a one-game suspension

The latter was announced during the final week of the preseason, voted on by the NFL and NFL Players Association.

QB1 still in doubt in Cleveland

While Todd Monken announced that Deshaun Watson will be QB1 for the Browns, it's a provisional title for the first two games of the season.

It was a heated battle between Watson and Shedeur Sanders all training camp to see who would claim the title of starter.

Nick Cammett / Stringer

However, Monken will give the veteran a chance to prove himself in away games after Watson had issues with home fans during their preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Sanders will probably not have to wait too long to see the field, but it might be a couple of weeks to see it as a starter.

Stars who will miss Week 1 and those who won't

As reported, Aaron Donald has officially been marked as inactive for Week 1, as Sean McVay announced he will not be making the trip to Melbourne.

Patrick Mahomes, however, has made an unbelievably quick return after he tore his ACL and LCL nine months ago. The QB is expected to start on Monday against the Broncos.

Kyle Rivas / Stringer

It looks more and more likely that we will see George Kittle on the field as well. After a torn Achilles in January, the tight end is confident he will play on Thursday.

TreVeyon Henderson has officially been marked as out for Wednesday's game after he's been dealing with an ankle injury since late August.

Can Tua Tagovailoa lock in the starting spot?

Up until a week ago, everything pointed to Michael Penix Jr. as QB1 for the Falcons, even though he's just coming back from a partially torn ACL.

Tagovailoa's performance in training camp and preseason games left a lot to be desired for Falcons fans.

However, Kevin Stefanski announced that the 28-year-old will be starting against the Steelers, but he's just got the QB1 spot for Week 1.

Penix's recovery is going very well, so we might see the former Huskies' QB in sooner rather than later.

Todd Kirkland / Stringer

Watch every NFL game and extensive NCAA College Sports coverage only on DAZN

Game Pass is the only place where you can watch every moment of the 2026 NFL season .

Features include options for both localised and American commentary, RedZone, NFL Network, Game in 40 , Sunday in 60 , Multiview , and more .

DAZN also offers extensive NCAA College Sports as a separate subscription and flag football available for free .

For more details and to sign up, click here for NFL Game Pass on DAZN or here for NCAA College Sports.