The 2026 NFL season will begin seventeen weeks from tonight, and it will reportedly start the same way the 2025 season concluded.
According to Jordan Schultz, the Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. This will be the first game of the regular season. If confirmed, it will mark the first Week 1 Super Bowl rematch in a decade.
The last time this occurred was in the 2016 season, when the season opener featured a rematch of Super Bowl 50. The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in that game, 21-20, after Panthers kicker Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal in the final 10 seconds.
Seattle won Super Bowl LX in a dominant performance, with a final score of 29-13. The game was far less competitive than the score suggested, as the Seahawks controlled the contest from start to finish.
Patriots Seek Revenge in Seattle
Now, the Patriots will reportedly get an immediate chance for redemption, this time in Seattle. The game will take place on the night the Seahawks raise their championship banner—a familiar scene for the Patriots, who have experienced this ritual firsthand.
Week 1 Opponent Options Narrow for Seahawks
With five of Seattle’s nine home opponents for 2026 already committed elsewhere for Week 1—including the 49ers, Rams, Giants, Cowboys, and Chiefs—only four teams remain as potential Week 1 opponents: the Cardinals, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots.
The official announcement of the opening game will be made by 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
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