NFL Season Opens On Wednesday With Patriots at Seahawks Super Bowl Rematch
The 2026 NFL season begins next Wednesday with a rematch of last season's Super Bowl, as the New England Patriots travel to face the Seattle Seahawks.
The game kicks off the league's 107th season on 9 September and will be broadcast on NBC. Seattle won Super Bowl LX in February, beating New England at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
A Rematch to Start
The opener pits Drake Maye against Sam Darnold in a fixture that carries obvious narrative weight for both sides. New England reached the Super Bowl as AFC champions before losing 29-13 to a Seattle team that has now had an offseason to build on the title.
The following night brings a first for the league. On 9 September ET (10 September in Melbourne), the San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL's first regular-season game played in Australia. That fixture will be streamed on Netflix in the US, though will also be available on various local platforms around the world.
The Rams enter the season with considerable attention on them following an aggressive offseason. They traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June, and last weekend Aaron Donald came out of retirement to rejoin the club on a one-year contract. Head coach Sean McVay has not confirmed whether Donald will be available for the Melbourne game.
Storylines to Watch
Los Angeles acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie from Kansas City and signed his former Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson, additions that came after quarterback Matthew Stafford was named MVP - Stafford subsequently signed a contract extension - but beyond the Rams, other teams also enter the season having reshaped their rosters.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of one of the main stories on the eve of the season. They have been working towards a new deal for cornerback Joey Porter Jr, but the current impasse could feasibly result in the 26-year-old missing games.
Teams finalised their initial 53-man rosters on Sunday, a process that produced a wave of cuts and trades across the league. Practice squads were assembled from Monday, giving all 32 clubs the chance to add or re-sign players.
Among the more notable roster decisions, Odell Beckham Jr made the New York Giants' initial 53-man roster, completing a return to the club where he began his career. The Dallas Cowboys waived quarterback Joe Milton III after claiming running back Emari Demercado off waivers from Kansas City.
Season Structure
The regular season runs through to 10 January 2027. The playoffs begin six days later, with Super Bowl LXI scheduled for 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The salary cap for this season was set at $301.2 million per team, an increase of $22 million on last year and a new high for the league.
What Follows
The league has scheduled international fixtures beyond the Melbourne game, including a match in Mexico City on 22 November between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
September is a crowded month across the American sporting calendar. The NFL opener arrives as Major League Baseball moves towards its postseason, the WNBA playoffs begin on 27 September, and the NHL season starts on 29 September.
