Football fans can finally see the finish line: there are no NFL games on Sunday, Sept. 6, but this is the last Sunday without league action until after the Super Bowl.
The wait ends this week, when the 2026 NFL regular season opens with two straight nights of football before the first full Sunday slate arrives Sept. 13.
The season starts Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the New England Patriots visiting the Seattle Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET. That one is a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won 29-13 in February, and it will air nationally on NBC.
Then comes another primetime matchup Thursday, Sept. 10, when the San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Los Angeles Rams at 8:35 p.m. That game will be on Netflix.
After that, 26 teams take the field Sunday, Sept. 13, and Week 1 wraps up Monday night with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
There are no NFL games scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6.
The preseason ended Aug. 29, leaving the league in the gap between exhibition play and the regular season. It’s the second straight Sunday without NFL football, and the last one fans will have to sit through until February.
The first Sunday of the season is Sept. 13, and it brings 13 games spread from 1 p.m. through Sunday Night Football. There are seven games at 1 p.m., five at 4:25 p.m. and one prime-time game at 8:20 p.m.
Here’s the Week 1 schedule:
Wednesday, Sept. 9
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Thursday, Sept. 10
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 8:35 p.m., Netflix
Sunday, Sept. 13
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., CBS
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, 1 p.m., CBS
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., CBS
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., Fox
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., Fox
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., Fox
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., Fox
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m., Fox
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Invited A Serious Character Debate With This Signing
The Seahawks made a notable addition at cornerback in Terrion Arnold, a move that immediately drew more attention than most late roster tweaks. It is the kind of signing that says as much about how Seattle is balancing talent and risk as it does about the player himself, especially at a time when every roster spot carries extra weight and the team is still sorting out its long view in the secondary.
John Schneider said the organizations evaluation left it confident in Arnolds character, even with pending felony charges still hanging over the situation. For Seattle, the football fit is only part of the story now, because the signing brings a real off-field question into the foreground and leaves the Seahawks to answer whether they were comfortable enough with the background to make the move in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Need A Familiar Answer In The Secondary
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Bell already knows the system, which matters when a team is trying to patch together the back end on short notice. His return does not solve everything, but it gives Seattle a depth piece who can step in quickly if needed and keeps a player the coaching staff already knows close to the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Already Have A New Pass Rush Question Brewing
With the Seahawks getting ready for their regular season opener against the Patriots, the long view is already starting to come into focus on defense. A recent mock draft from Justin Melo has Seattle landing Oregon edge defender Matayo Uiagalelei in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, a reminder that pass rush remains one of the most closely watched spots on the roster even as the new season begins.
Uiagaleleis profile is built around his ability to get after the quarterback, and he is expected to be a key piece for Oregon this fall. For Seattle, any projection that early brings the conversation back to the same familiar place: whether the Seahawks will need to keep investing at the top of the draft to keep their front four stocked with impact talent. [Read more 🡒]