NFL suspends players after three violations of five specific penalties: hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching hits, blindside blocks, and hits on defenseless players. Three offenses of any of these in a season now trigger an automatic one-game ban.
This is the league's latest attempt to improve player safety, building on fines and previous suspensions. Players start 2026 with a "clean slate," but violations will carry forward to future seasons.
