NFL Season Kicks Off Wednesday with Seahawks-Patriots Rematch

The 2026 NFL season will begin on Wednesday, September 9th, with a highly anticipated Super Bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. This marks a rare occasion for the league's opening game to be played on a Wednesday, a scheduling decision that NBC has promoted with a week-long "Race to Wednesday" campaign.

The Seahawks, as the reigning champions, are expected to be a focal point, having recently been featured in the "Hard Knocks" docuseries, which provided an inside look at their offseason preparations. The Patriots are reportedly strategizing their key players for the opener, while the league continues to be abuzz with speculation about potential player unretirements, a phenomenon seen in previous seasons.