A Super Bowl rematch opens the 2026 NFL season, and oddsmakers are leaning toward the home team. The New England Patriots head to Seattle to face Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in Week 1, with Seattle installed as a 3.5-point favorite.
The matchup comes with a different look than the one that unfolded in Super Bowl LX. Seattle’s offense has undergone major change, with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III now in Kansas City and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak gone as well after taking the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job. Mike Macdonald’s team still enters the season with serious respect from the market, sitting at +1200 in the Super Bowl odds.
New England, meanwhile, has made its own splash. The Patriots brought in star receiver A.J.
Brown this offseason as they look to build on Drake Maye’s near MVP season in 2025. Their path is tougher this time around after facing a historically easy schedule last year, but Mike Vrabel’s club is still viewed as one of the top contenders in the AFC and for the Super Bowl.
A lot of the attention in Seattle will fall on first-round pick Jadarian Price. With Walker gone, Price is being asked to help drive the offense right away, and Zach Charbonnet opening the season on the PUP list only sharpens that spotlight. The challenge is real: New England was a top-10 team in EPA/Rush in 2025, so Price won’t have an easy time trying to power the Seahawks’ ground game in a bellcow role.
Seattle’s defense should again be one of the league’s best, but it also lost key pieces in Tariq Woolen and Boye Mafe. Even so, the Seahawks were clearly the stronger team in the Super Bowl meeting between these two and remain one of the league’s most dangerous squads. They’re No. 2 in my latest Power Rankings, and the talent is still there for another deep run.
There is, though, a wrinkle worth watching: Seattle has struggled against the spread at home under Macdonald, and the new playcaller on offense adds another layer of uncertainty early in the year. That’s part of why New England has a live chance to stay inside the number.
Maye’s rise is a big reason for that confidence. He was dominant during the regular season for New England, and while he didn’t play at that same level in the playoffs, the Patriots still finished 2025 as one of just two teams - Denver was the other - to rank in the top 10 in both EPA/Play on offense and defense.
Seattle should have the edge at home, but New England has enough behind its upgraded roster and strong two-way profile to make this more than just a routine opener. The Patriots may not win outright, but they have a path to cover on Wednesday night.
In Other News...
Patriots Seahawks Opener Just Got Dragged Into A Mike Vrabel Mess
A preseason storyline that started in April has now followed Mike Vrabel right into the Patriots' season-opening build-up, and it has nothing to do with the game plan for Seattle. The issue flared after photos of Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini surfaced, eventually leading to Russinis resignation from The Athletic and an investigation that found a violation of company standards but no favoritism.
Now the opener against the Seahawks is being pulled into the conversation again, with NFL insider Albert Breer saying more details could surface before kickoff. Vrabel has declined to address the report, keeping the focus on the teams preparation for Week 1, but the timing ensures the topic is not going away quietly as New England tries to keep its attention on football. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Just Got Another Reason To Watch George Pickens
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George Pickens is suddenly part of that conversation because of the financial squeeze Dallas is dealing with around its receiver room. Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones acknowledged the challenge involving Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, and Pickens could end up either reaching free agency or becoming part of a tag-and-trade path. For a Patriots team that has shown a willingness to swing big at the position, that is the kind of development worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face Growing Week 1 Backfield Concern With Time Running Short
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The situation that matters most in New England is TreVeyon Henderson, whose ankle injury has kept his status unsettled as the opener approaches. Jeremiyah Loves high-ankle sprain leaves his Week 1 outlook murky, while Jonathon Brooks is trying to push through soreness with optimism around his debut. For the Patriots, the concern is less about any one headline and more about how many backfield options are still carrying some kind of limitation when the calendar is about to flip to the games that count. [Read more 🡒]