Patriots and Seahawks to kick off 2026 NFL season with Super Bowl rematch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The upcoming NFL season will pick up exactly where the last one left off.
In a rematch of February’s Super Bowl LX, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will officially host the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
The game will air on NBC and Peacock on Wednesday, Sept. 9 — one day earlier than usual to account for the scheduling the Week 1 game in Australia.
This will be just the third Super Bowl rematch to be played in Week 1 of the following season and the first since 2016. Coincidentally, that rematch involving the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers was also the last Super Bowl played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara before Seahawks-Patriots. The only other Super Bowl rematch in Week 1 was in 1970 when the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite the dominant 29-13 win by the Seahawks just a few months ago, the NFL is betting on a more competitive second act. The Patriots loaded up this offseason, signing Romeo Doubs, Dre’Mont Jones, Kevin Byard and Alijah Vera-Tucker. They’re also still expected to trade for Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown sometime after June 1.
Seattle, meanwhile, lost several key pieces from its championship group — including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and defensive contributors Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen.
The Seahawks’ crowd will undoubtedly be fired up, even more than usual, with the team raising its second Super Bowl banner before kickoff at Lumen Field. The Patriots will have to block out the noise, and any lingering distractions from head coach Mike Vrabel’s offseason, to get revenge.
