The NFL has never started a season with this kind of quarterback matchup. When the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at 8:20 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 9, on NBC and Peacock, the quarterbacks who played in the previous Super Bowl will meet in Week 1 for the first time ever.
The setting gives the opener a clear “rematch” feel, but the historical wrinkle is what makes it stand out. This is not just another kickoff game. It’s a first-of-its-kind meeting at the most watched stage of the league’s opening week.
There isn’t much precedent to lean on. The last time the Super Bowl teams met in the first week of the next season was 10 years ago, when the Denver Broncos opened against the Carolina Panthers after beating them 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. Denver won the rematch 21-20, though the quarterback situation was already different by then.
Peyton Manning had just finished the championship game by throwing for 141 yards and an interception in what became his second title and first with Denver. Soon after, he announced his retirement. That left the job to Trevor Siemian, the seventh-round rookie who won a preseason competition and then outplayed Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the opener.
Go back further, and the list gets even shorter. The only other Week 1 rematch of Super Bowl teams came in 1970, after the Kansas City Chiefs closed the 1969 season with a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Len Dawson led Kansas City to the AFL title, while Joe Kapp finished that game with two interceptions and three sacks taken.
Kapp did not get the chance at the rematch because he later signed with the Patriots. Minnesota instead opened with Gary Cuozzo at quarterback, and he helped the Vikings to a 27-10 win.
That’s the backdrop for Drake Maye, who gets a rare shot in this kind of spot. If he can beat Seattle’s Sam Darnold, he can take a little revenge in a game that gives the new season an immediate jolt.
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Mike Macdonald later offered some relief by confirming there is no fracture, but the bigger question around Darnold is still the same: how long will this keep him out? For the Patriots, the injury added another layer to a game they already wanted to put behind them, while Jones' post kept the moment alive long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
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His first chance to suit up comes against the Steelers, where New England is looking for more help and more stability in the middle of the line. The addition does mean a corresponding roster move is coming, so the Patriots are not only adding depth, but also making a calculated choice about who stays put to make room for it. [Read more 🡒]