The NFL is using the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to turn Week 1 into a leaguewide remembrance.
In a statement released Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell said every Week 1 game will include tributes to the heroes and victims of September 11. Those plans include in-stadium moments, broadcast integrations and community engagement efforts.
The league also said all games will carry live national anthem coverage for the 1 p.m. ET slate.
“We continue to honor the memory of those we lost on September 11 and the heroes whose courage and sacrifice inspired our nation,” Goodell said, via OutKick. “Out of unimaginable tragedy emerged an extraordinary sense of unity and service that brought Americans together.
“As the NFL family reflects on this day 25 years later, we remember those who were taken from us and support those who continue to carry the pain of that day. We also recommit ourselves to the spirit of resilience, community, and service that remains an enduring example for future generations.”
The league’s commemoration won’t stop at U.S. stadiums. The NFL said similar tributes are planned for the 49ers-Rams game in Australia on Thursday, September 10.
In New York, where the Giants and Jets are the league’s two franchises, the remembrance will be especially visible. The Jets are on the road in Week 1, but the Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and both teams will take part in the tribute.
Players, coaches and staff from both sides will wear commemorative NYPD, FDNY and PAPD hats on the sideline to honor first responders who served on September 11 and in the days after. They’ll also wear special 9/11-branded “Never Forget” T-shirts during pregame warmups. Giants-branded versions of the hats will be sold at the team store, with proceeds going to the respective agencies.
The league also said the Giants, Jets and Washington Commanders are each making a $1 million donation to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. On top of that, the NFL Foundation will give another $250,000 to the 9/11 Day non-profit organization.
In Other News...
Jets Trade Just Put Mougey's Roster Strategy Under A Brighter Spotlight
The Jets added another piece to their offensive line plans by striking a deal with Las Vegas for Jordan Meredith, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Raiders and getting back a 2029 seventh-rounder along with the veteran lineman. Meredith then agreed to a restructured one-year contract with New York worth $2 million plus incentives, with $1.9 million guaranteed, a move that points to the team continuing to shore up the interior after the trade.
For the Jets, the timing matters as much as the price. Meredith is being brought in to provide depth on the inside for the 2026 season, and his arrival fits a roster-building approach that has leaned on targeted additions rather than splashy overhauls. The question now is how the Jets plan to sort out the rest of the interior rotation once training camp and the competition for snaps really start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Kicker Search Just Took A Turn Fans Will Hate
The Jets search for kicking help has turned into one of those midseason roster chores that never feels simple, especially when the options under review come with very different levels of comfort. New York has been looking beyond Blake Grupe and Jason Sanders, and the list of names it has worked out includes Justin Tucker, Michael Badgley and Joshua Karty, a mix that underscores how urgently the team is trying to sort out the position.
Tucker, of course, is the name that jumps off the page, even after a rough recent stretch and the fact that other teams passed on him after tryouts. He was also recently suspended for 10 games in the 2025 season following an NFL investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior dating back to 2012 through 2016, which only adds to the unease around any possible move in his direction. For a team still weighing its kicking options, the Jets are clearly leaving no stone unturned, even if some of those stones are a lot heavier than others. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Franchise QB Search Just Took A Familiar Draft Turn
The Jets spent the 2026 offseason addressing the quarterback spot by bringing in Geno Smith from the Raiders, and for now he is expected to open the upcoming season as the starter. Even so, the long-term search at the games most important position has not really gone away, which is why the clubs draft capital keeps drawing attention as the next possible route to a franchise answer.
One projection has New York using a pick it acquired from the Colts to target Carr in the 2027 NFL Draft, a familiar kind of quarterback swing for a team that has spent years trying to get this part of the roster right. Carr arrives with real college production behind him after a strong 2025 season at Notre Dame, and if the Jets do go that direction, it would signal a willingness to keep building beyond the short-term fix and bet on a younger option with starter upside. [Read more 🡒]