Seahawks-Patriots to open 2026 NFL season; nine international games set

The National Football League on Thursday released its full 272-game schedule for the 2026 season, opening with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9 at Lumen Field. The primetime opener is a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won seven months earlier. The league also confirmed a record slate of international fixtures and a robust holiday lineup. The regular season is set to conclude on January 10, 2027.

The opener marks only the third time that the previous season’s Super Bowl teams meet in Week 1 and just the second time that pairing has been used for the league’s first game. The last such instance came in 2016, when Denver defeated Carolina months after Super Bowl 50.

Defending champions have generally fared well in season openers, posting a 16-5 record since 2004. It will also be the 12th Super Bowl rematch to be played the following season, with defending champions holding an 8-3 edge in those meetings.

The 2026 schedule includes a record nine international games, underscoring the league’s global push. Among them is the first regular-season NFL game in Melbourne, Australia, where the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers on September 10 for U.S. audiences. To accommodate the Australia fixture, the league will stage a rare Wednesday night opener; the last time an NFL season began on a Wednesday was in 2012 to avoid a conflict with a major political event the following day.

Reunions and high-profile returns dot the slate. Kenneth Walker, the Super Bowl LX MVP who joined the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason, returns to Seattle for a Sunday Night Football matchup on October 25. Malik Willis, now the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, is scheduled to visit his former team, the Green Bay Packers, on December 20. Miami also travels to Denver on December 6 to face former star receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was traded to the Broncos this offseason.

In the AFC, DJ Moore — acquired by the Buffalo Bills in March — will host the Chicago Bears at the newly constructed Highmark Stadium on December 19. And after sending Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh in March, the Indianapolis Colts visit the Steelers on October 11. Top quarterback storylines shape the prime-time slate as well: the Monday night schedule features every 2025–26 division winner and playoff team, including a Dallas Cowboys–Philadelphia Eagles showdown in Week 7.

Seattle appears twice on Monday night — at the Chicago Bears in Week 8 and against the Cowboys in Week 13 — while Week 15 is slated for an anticipated first meeting between New England’s Drake Maye and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. Elsewhere, No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza could debut in Week 1 when the Las Vegas Raiders host Miami on September 13; if not, veteran Kirk Cousins, who joined the Raiders this offseason, is a candidate to start.

Holiday games and primetime focus

Seattle will play six primetime games, its most in a season since 2000. One of those comes at home against the Rams in Week 16; the NFC West rivals — who met in the conference championship in January — will face each other twice in the final three weeks of 2026.

The league’s holiday lineup is again prominent. The NFL confirmed three Thanksgiving Day games: Lions–Bears at 1 p.m. ET, Cowboys–Eagles at 4:30 p.m. ET and Chiefs–Bills at 8:20 p.m. ET. A Christmas Day tripleheader will feature Packers–Bears, Bills–Broncos and Rams–Seahawks.

Season timeline and what to watch

Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. With the full slate now public, teams and fans can begin mapping travel, key checkpoints and potential playoff implications across a crowded 2026 calendar. Flex scheduling and competitive balance will shape the primetime picture as the season develops.