The 2026 NFL season opens with a Super Bowl LX rematch, and the early numbers point to the same team that finished on top last time around.
Seattle is set to host New England on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with Sam Darnold and the Seahawks installed as the favorite over Drake Maye and the Patriots. The defending champs are expected to open the year 1-0, and the home-field edge is baked into the line.
The opening odds give Seattle an implied win probability of 64.29 percent. That fits the broader view of a Seahawks team that still carries plenty of weight despite a few notable departures from the championship roster.
Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP, is no longer in Seattle after leaving in free agency, and Tariq Woolen and Boye Mafe also moved on. Even so, the Seahawks remain deep on both sides of the ball, and they used a first-round pick on running back Jadarian Price to help replace Walker.
For New England, the offseason headline was the addition of wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade, giving Maye a true No. 1 target as he tries to build on a 2025 season that ended with him finishing second in MVP voting. The Patriots are a bit behind Seattle in the latest Super Bowl odds, but a road win in Week 1 would go a long way toward changing that conversation.
There’s also a real question hanging over New England after last season. The Patriots played the easiest schedule in recent NFL history and are projected to face one of the 10-easiest schedules again in 2026, so the debate is whether their success was schedule-driven or a sign they’re already among the league’s best. Their defense finished last season in the top 10 in EPA/Play, and if that level holds, it would help them avoid a big step back.
Seattle, meanwhile, will have a different look on offense after losing coordinator Klint Kubiak, who took the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job. Price is the name to watch in this opener, especially after Walker powered through New England on the ground in the Super Bowl and helped cover for a rough start from Darnold.
Under Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have been strong at home, going 11-8 overall and 6-2 in the regular season in 2025 after a 3-6 mark in 2024. That’s the backdrop for a Week 1 game that already has the feel of a measuring stick for both teams.
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Drake Maye Just Gave Patriots Fans A Very New England Look
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The deal is the kind of crossover that tends to resonate in this part of the country, where football, family and outdoor gear all live comfortably in the same orbit. L.L.Bean president and CEO Greg Elder pointed to the Mayes New England ties and shared values in discussing the partnership, a nice reminder that in this market, image matters almost as much as arm strength. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Rookie Earned A Roster Spot In A Way Nobody Expected
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Hutchins retention also says plenty about how the Patriots viewed the competition at outside linebacker, where four players ended up making the roster. For an undrafted rookie to break through in that mix is a credit to the kind of summer he put together, even if the first confirmation of his status came in a roundabout way. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Are Counting On An Unproven Linebacker In A Thin Spot
The Patriots added another layer to a linebacker room that has been stretched thin, signing Erick Hunter to the 53-man roster after his time with the Detroit Lions. Hunter arrives as an undrafted player with a strong college rsum at Morgan State and enough preseason showing to convince New England he was worth a closer look at a position where depth matters and every backup role can quickly become important.
For the Patriots, the move is as much about coverage as it is about upside. Hunter gives them an extra body in a spot they need to reinforce, and he also brings a path to contributing on special teams, which is often how unproven defenders carve out a place on the roster. The question now is whether his preseason momentum can carry into a bigger opportunity when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]