Come December, the Patriots will kick off at Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football.

Among other rules passed by league owners Monday afternoon, the NFL can now flex Thursday Night Football games out in Weeks 13-17. The Patriots and Steelers are scheduled to play in Week 14 at 8:15 p.m. and could now be pushed back to a Sunday afternoon kickoff. If the game is flexed out, both teams will receive at least 28 days’ notice.

The NFL can flex a maximum of two games during this late-season window, per a league memo.&nbsp; No NFL team can be flexed into Thursday night more than once or play more than two games on Thursday Night Football. The new Thursday Night Football schedule rules will take effect for the 2023 season on a “trial basis,” unless zero games are flexed and then they will carry over into 2024.

The Patriots are scheduled to play in four primetime games this season, including a Week 2 Sunday Night Football matchup with Miami, Monday Night Football game versus Kansas City in Week 15 and a Sunday night game at Denver on Christmas Eve in Week 16.

According to reports, the Patriots were one of 24 teams to vote in favor of the amendment, which required 24 votes to pass.

The NFL passed a new rule that could affect the Patriots during a playoff push.{ai:summary}<p>NFL owners passed a rule that allows for flex scheduling of Thursday Night Football games in Weeks 13-17, meaning that the New England Patriots' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 could potentially be moved to a Sunday afternoon kickoff. The NFL can flex a maximum of two games during this late-season window, and teams cannot play more than two games on Thursday Night Football. This new schedule rule will take effect in the 2023 season on a "trial basis" unless no games are flexed, in which case it will carry over to the 2024 season. #sports</p>

Patriots-Steelers regular-season game could change after new NFL rule

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