The Seattle Seahawks will begin their Super Bowl title defense against the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9, opening a 2026 NFL season shaped by major roster changes and an unprecedented international schedule. Reuters reported on Monday that the championship rematch at Lumen Field will be the league's first Wednesday opener since 2012, while the NFL's official schedule lists kickoff at 8:20 p.m. Eastern time.
Seattle will unveil its championship banner before facing the team it defeated in Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks return with much of their title-winning roster, although Super Bowl most valuable player Kenneth Walker III departed for Kansas City in free agency. New England, which rose from last place in the AFC East to reach the championship game, strengthened its offense by acquiring wide receiver A.J. Brown from Philadelphia.
The unusual Wednesday start makes room for another landmark event: the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday local time, the first NFL regular-season game in Australia. Official NFL information says the 2026 international program contains a record nine games in seven countries, with additional stops in Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.
Several contenders enter the season with substantially changed lineups. Reuters identified the Rams as leading favorites after they acquired defensive star Myles Garrett from Cleveland and welcomed Aaron Donald back from retirement. Kansas City, meanwhile, is monitoring quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he returns from a left knee ligament injury that ended his previous season; the Chiefs are scheduled to open against Denver on September 14.
Change also extends to the sidelines, with 10 clubs hiring new head coaches, matching an NFL record. Baltimore appointed Jesse Minter to lead a roster built around quarterback Lamar Jackson, while Buffalo promoted Joe Brady after dismissing Sean McDermott. In Pittsburgh, 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is returning for a 22nd season and reuniting with coach Mike McCarthy, with whom he won a championship in Green Bay.
The opening week therefore combines a championship rematch with the clearest evidence yet of the NFL's international expansion. The nine overseas games span four continents and eight stadiums before the season concludes at Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles on February 14. Results on the field will determine whether Seattle can repeat, but the schedule already establishes 2026 as the league's broadest global campaign.
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