2026 NFL Season Kicks Off Wednesday with a Super Bowl Rematch

The teams last met in February, when Seattle defeated New England 29-13 to win the Super Bowl. The season opener comes 212 days later and marks just the 13th regular-season game in NFL history between teams that met in the previous Super Bowl. Defending champions are 9-3 in the previous 12 such rematches, according to NFL Research.

 New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks

• Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
• Kickoff: 7:20 p.m.
• Location: Lumen Field, Seattle
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock and NFL+; NFL+ availability applies to live local and prime-time games on mobile devices.

No plans for the game? Head to the Arc Light Sports Bar and Grill located inside the Clarion Hotel at 441 Rio Concho Drive.

Watch it on the largest video wall in San Angelo (plus 16 other screens). No cover.

Wednesday specials while you watch:

• Catfish platter with fries — $15
• From 7–11 p.m.: $1.50 wells and $4 import bottles
• Happy hour 2–7 p.m.:
  • $6 mini-pitchers (domestic and import), $2 wells, and $4 Jack, Jameson, Jim Beam, Tito’s, Bombay Rumple, Fireball, and Lalo

The opener will provide an immediate test of whether New England has addressed some of the problems that contributed to its Super Bowl demise. Seattle held the Patriots scoreless through the first three quarters of that game, while quarterback Drake Maye was sacked six times. Maye took 21 sacks during the postseason, the most by a quarterback in a single postseason during the Super Bowl era.

New England enters the season with changes designed to give Maye more support. The Patriots added wide receiver A.J. Brown, giving Maye an established No. 1 target. Brown has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons. New England also added guard Alijah Vera-Tucker as it attempts to strengthen an offensive line that struggled against Seattle in February.

Brown's matchup against Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon will be one of the key battles to watch. On the other side, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez will face Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. New England limited Smith-Njigba to four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets in the Super Bowl.

Seattle will also begin the season with a different look in its backfield. Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III departed for Kansas City in free agency, and Zach Charbonnet is opening the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he recovers from a torn ACL. Rookie Jadarian Price, selected with the No. 32 overall pick out of Notre Dame, is expected to be part of a backfield that also includes George Holani and Emanuel Wilson.

The Seahawks return quarterback Sam Darnold and much of the defense that helped carry the team to the championship, but there are questions in the secondary. Safety Ty Okada has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while safety Nick Emmanwori is questionable with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Tory Horton is also questionable because of a hamstring injury.

New England has injury concerns of its own. Running back TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out because of an ankle injury, while offensive lineman Ben Brown is out with a knee injury.

One of the game's central matchups will again be New England's offensive line against Seattle's pass rush. The Seahawks return a defensive front featuring Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler Jr. and Derick Hall. If New England can give Maye more time than it did in February, the addition of Brown could give the Patriots opportunities to challenge a Seattle secondary dealing with offseason turnover and injuries.

For Seattle, protecting Darnold will be similarly important. The Seahawks return all five starters on the offensive line, while New England will look to generate the type of pressure that disrupted Seattle's passing game at times in the Super Bowl.

Wednesday's game officially opens the 2026 NFL regular season and gives New England an immediate opportunity to respond to its Super Bowl defeat, while Seattle begins its championship defense at home.