The 2026 NFL season opens with a headline matchup and a schedule that barely gives the league room to breathe. The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks kick things off against the New England Patriots on Wednesday night, launching a 272-game regular season built around 17 games for all 32 teams and a league-record nine international contests.
That stretch runs all the way to the postseason and Super Bowl 61, set for Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The first week keeps the spotlight moving fast. After the opener, the Los Angeles Rams head to Melbourne, Australia, to face the San Francisco 49ers next Thursday at 8:35 p.m.
EDT. Because of the time difference, the game lands on Friday, Sept. 11, in Australia and begins at 10:35 a.m. local time.
Then comes a full Sunday slate on Sept. 13.
That opening weekend also brings a few eye-catching quarterback storylines. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys go on the road to meet the rival New York Giants, while Kyler Murray makes his debut with the Minnesota Vikings when they host the Green Bay Packers.
The week closes with two more big returns. Two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes comes back from a serious knee injury when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos on Monday night. Bo Nix, meanwhile, will play his first game that counts since recovering from a broken ankle.
Mahomes is part of a longer list of stars trying to put a rough injury year behind them. He watched Kansas City limp to a six-win season in 2025 after suffering a torn ACL in Week 15.
San Francisco, though, may be the team with the most hope riding on health. The 49ers get back tight end George Kittle, edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner after an injury-ravaged season. Bosa’s year ended with a knee injury in Week 3, Warner broke his ankle in Week 6 and Kittle ruptured his Achilles in a wild-card win at Philadelphia.
Warner and Bosa are expected to be ready for Week 1, while Kittle remains on the physically unable to perform list. It is uncertain whether he will be back in Australia against the Rams or shortly after that.
Other players hoping to return this season include Green Bay edge rusher Micah Parsons, Giants receiver Malik Nabers, Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones and Baltimore defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.
The league’s international footprint is bigger than ever, with games spread across seven different countries. Australia gets the first one, and the 49ers-Rams matchup will be the country’s first NFL game. The rest of the international schedule looks like this:
Sept. 27: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.
Oct. 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders in London.
Oct. 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Oct. 18: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Oct. 25: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints in Paris.
Nov. 8: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons in Madrid.
Nov. 15: New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions in Munich.
Nov. 22: Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City.
As for the title picture, Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are the current favorites at +500 to win Super Bowl 61 on their home field, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Behind them comes a tight cluster: the Buffalo Bills at +1000, the Baltimore Ravens at +1100, the defending champion Seahawks at +1100 and the Chiefs at +1500.
For the biggest payoff, the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are both listed at +50000.
Watching it all may be the trickiest part. The NFL remains the most popular sport in the United States, but the broadcast setup is spread across a maze of streaming services and exclusive online windows. Fans with cable can usually find local team games on local affiliates, and some national games will be there too, though not always.
One of the simplest streaming routes is YouTubeTV with NFL Sunday Ticket, though it comes at a steep price: $240 for new subscribers and more for returners.
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 🡒]