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...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 1 Concern In The Secondary
The Seahawks opened their 2026 injury report with a familiar sort of early-season unease, and the secondary was right in the middle of it. Safety Ty Okada showed up with a hamstring issue, while rookie Nick Emmanwori is still working back from ankle surgery, leaving Seattle with an immediate reason to watch the back end of the defense as Week 1 approaches. Wide receiver Tory Horton was also limited with a hamstring injury, but rookie corner Julian Neal was a full participant after dealing with a quad issue.
For a team that leans on communication and depth in the secondary, any limitation at safety this early is worth monitoring closely. The first practice week always comes with a little caution, but Seattles initial report offered a reminder that the opening game plan could depend on how quickly Okada and Emmanwori can get right. Across the field, New England had its own concerns, with defensive tackle Christian Barmore and running back TreVeyon Henderson both missing practice because of injuries. [Read more 🡒]
Braden Fiske Is Feeling The Rams' Blockbuster Move In A Real Way
The Rams defense keeps coming up as a moving target in the NFC West, and Braden Fiske has been right in the middle of that conversation. The outside linebacker has already weighed in on the teams blockbuster trade chatter around Myles Garrett and on the departure of Jared Verse, a reminder that even a division rivals personnel moves can ripple well beyond one locker room.
For the Seahawks, the larger picture is how quickly the divisions roster landscape can shift, with Arizona also locking up Michael Wilson on a new extension and Seattle making its own notable addition in Terrion Arnold. The one-year deal came after the Seahawks did their homework with background checks and consultations across the football world, but the legal situation around Arnold still leaves the move carrying more scrutiny than your typical depth signing. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Seahawks Opener Just Got Dragged Into A Mike Vrabel Mess
The Seahawks season opener has picked up an unexpected off-field subplot, with NFL insider Albert Breer predicting that more details could surface before New England and Seattle kick off the regular season. What began in April as a swirl around photos involving Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel has already spilled well beyond a tabloid-style rumor, forcing the issue into the NFL conversation at the exact moment the Patriots are trying to turn the page and get ready for Week 1.
Vrabel has kept the focus on football in recent public comments, declining to address the report directly during a press conference and steering the conversation back to the matchup ahead. But the unresolved questions around the episode still hang over a game that should have been about the Seahawks measuring themselves against a new-look Patriots team, making this opener feel a little less like a clean start and a little more like a story with another chapter still to come. [Read more 🡒]