NFL fixtures 2026: Super Bowl rematch between Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots to open new season on a Wednesday night | NFL News

The 2026 NFL season will kick off with a Super Bowl rematch on September 9 when champions Seattle Seahawks open up against the New England Patriots.

The Seahawks dominated the Patriots in a 29-13 victory in February that secured the franchise’s second NFL title, with the 2026 season-opener – taking place on a Wednesday night in the USA – just the third time that the teams who contested the Super Bowl face off again in Week 1.

The NFL season will be opening on a Wednesday for just the second time in league history in a campaign which will feature nine international fixtures across four continents, starting with the Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on September 10.

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants meet in the first Sunday night game of the season while the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs go head to head in the first Monday night game.

On an immediate Week 1 match-up between the 2025 Super Bowl opponents, NFL executive Hans Schroeder said: “It was definitely a key data point for us.

“We saw what a big draw that was and so we just thought it was really fun. I think it’s been a decade since we did Denver and Carolina in Super Bowl 50 and came back in Week 1 the next year.

“We thought it was a fun way to start the season again with New England in Seattle, coming off that Super Bowl, certainly a ton to play for. Let our fans see if they play again.”

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Thanksgiving night to complete a triple-header. The Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles-Cowboys matchups were previously released.

Christmas Eve will see the Eagles host the Houston Texans, while the Christmas Day triple-header features the Green Bay Packers-Bears, Bills-Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams-Seahawks.

The two games on Boxing Day have yet to determined.

Sixteen of the league’s 32 teams will play at least one of their 17 regular-season games outside the United States.

London hosts three international matches, while there are first-ever games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will again host two games, in successive October weekends with the Eagles – 2025 champions – playing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday October 11.

Wembley will also host a fixture as the Texans face the Jaguars a week later on Sunday October 18.

Download the Sky Sports App to see the full 2026 NFL schedule or see the full 2026 NFL schedule here

NFL 2026 schedule, selected fixtures:

Week One

Wednesday September 9

New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks

Thursday September 10

San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams – Melbourne, Australia

Sunday September 13

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals
New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions
Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Chargers
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders
Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

Monday September 14

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Week Two

Thursday September 17

Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills

Sunday September 20

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tennessee Titans
Green Bay Packers @ New York Jets
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints @ Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos
Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
Miami Dolphins @ San Francisco 49ers
Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs

Monday September 21

New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams

Thanksgiving week

Wednesday November 25

Green Bay Packers @ Los Angeles Rams

Thursday November 26

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills

Friday November 27

Denver Broncos @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Christmas

Thursday December 24

Houston Texans @ Philadelphia Eagles

Friday December 25

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Buffalo Bills @ Denver Broncos
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

Week 18 – final weekend of regular season

Saturday January 9-Sunday January 10
Schedule confirmed after Week 17 matches complete

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Commanders
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams

Watch the 2026 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every London and European game as well as every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.