The 2026 NFL season will officially kick off with a marquee matchup: the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots in a standalone Wednesday night opener.
The game is set for Wednesday, September 9, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., with kickoff scheduled for 8:20pm ET on NBC, and streaming available on Peacock. The broadcast will feature the full Sunday Night Football crew, with Mike Tirico on play‑by‑play, Cris Collinsworth providing analysis, and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.
The opener doubles as a rematch of Super Bowl LX, played on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Seattle defeated New England 29–13 in that championship meeting, securing the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
The Seahawks enter the new season riding the momentum of that title run, having finished the 2025 campaign 17–3 overall. The Patriots, who reached the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2018 season, closed their 2025 slate at 17–4.
This year’s NFL regular‑season opener arrives one day earlier than usual. The league shifted the schedule to accommodate the international showcase between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, who will meet on Friday, Sept. 11, in Melbourne, Australia—a game that will air on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the United States due to the time difference.
The first full Sunday of NFL action features 13 games, headlined by a primetime NFC East rivalry matchup on Sunday Night Football, with the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Week 1 wraps up on Monday Night Football, where the Denver Broncos will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
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