Super Bowl champion Seahawks to open 2026 NFL season Wednesday night
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The 2026 NFL season begins Wednesday night and the reigning Super Bowl champions will be involved.
The Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX to once again ascend to the top of the football world, will host a team that will be announced later to kick off the 2026 season on September 9, a rare Wednesday game.
While the NFL has had to play on a Wednesday due to scheduling conflicts in the past or on holidays, this fact has to do with the league’s latest international debut of its product.
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Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Ronald MartÃnez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will play in Melbourne, Australia, with the game starting at 10:35 a.m. local time on a Friday. Back home, it will be 8:35 pm ET on September 10, which is a Thursday night compared to Friday morning in Australia.
“We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, highlighting an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams,” Rams international director Stephanie Cheng said in a statement.
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“Every time members of our organization visit us, including earlier this month, we see firsthand the growing excitement of people across Melbourne anticipating this game. Not only will it be special to play the 49ers on a Friday morning in Australia, but it will also be great for our fans at home to be able to watch this matchup in primetime on Thursday night.”
For the Seahawks’ home opener, this will be the first time since 2012 that the NFL opens its season on a Wednesday night. It was the New York Giants who hosted the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, and the Giants received their Super Bowl rings from the previous season.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention was that same week in 2012. Understandably, the league didn’t want its start to the season to be overshadowed.
As the league continues to expand, especially internationally, with a record nine games set for the 2026 season, soccer could be played on more Wednesdays in the future.
The NFL is reportedly considering adding a Thanksgiving Eve game, which would be the Wednesday before its usual three-game stretch on Thanksgiving night, in its continued exploration of new broadcast windows. ESPN reported that the move could occur as early as the 2026 season.
There has already been a “Black Friday” game played in the last three seasons, so a Wednesday contest on Thanksgiving Eve isn’t a far-fetched idea.
Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after the NFL Super Bowl against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. The Seahawks defeated the Patriots, 29-13. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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“Each offseason we look for new opportunities to better serve our fans in the schedule-building process,” the league said Wednesday in a statement.
“As Commissioner Goodell has said, Thanksgiving and NFL football have become synonymous, and with the continued growth of fan interest surrounding our games on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it is exciting for us to explore pursuing additional opportunities related to this special holiday.”
The full NFL schedule will be released on May 13 for all teams in the league.
The News contributed to this report.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital.