The Seattle Seahawks released their 2026 season schedule on Thursday. Before the full release, we had learned their Week 1 opponent on opening day will be the New England Patriots. A Super Bowl 60 rematch provides the Seahawks with an immediate measuring stick.
The Seahawks have undergone major offseason changes. General manager John Schneider had to make responsible decisions. Doing so meant letting contributors like Kenneth Walker III, Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe, and Coby Bryant leave in free agency. Seattle’s biggest outside offseason addition was probably first-round running back Jadarian Price.
The Seahawks managed to re-sign Josh Jobe and Rashid Shaheed, who were crucial to their Super Bowl-winning efforts. Schneider kept enough cap space to sign Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a historic extension, and both Sam Darnold and Devon Witherspoon will need extensions soon, too.
The Patriots have had a peculiar offseason themselves. Head coach Mike Vrabel has been a distraction due to an alleged off-field situation. The Patriots have added good players though, and are expected to trade for superstar wide receiver AJ Brown in June. They’ll walk into Seattle in Week 1 as an improved team ready to make another run.
The Seahawks want to defend their Super Bowl 60 title. How they fare versus the Patriots in Week 1 will provide a decent measuring stick for how prepared they are to successfully do that.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks get immediate measuring stick in Week 1 Super Bowl rematch
