Consider this to be the official start of the NFL’s schedule release season. The league announced this week that the first game of the 2026 season will take place at Lumen Field in Seattle on Wednesday, September 9, at 5:20pm PT.
Interestingly, the Seattle Sounders game, originally scheduled to be played at Lumen Field on September 9, was rescheduled to October 1 to accommodate the Seahawks’ schedule.
Who will the Seahawks play on opening day?
The opponent has not been announced, but we know for certain that it cannot be the Rams or 49ers, who will be playing the next day in Melbourne, Australia.
That would leave the following teams as potential opponents:
Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Because it’s a prime time game, we doubt the Cardinals or Giants would get the nod. They simply haven’t been good enough in recent years, and they lack the type of star players that the NFL would want to feature on opening day.
The Chiefs would also seem like a bad choice, with Patrick Mahomes working his way back from an ACL injury. Although he is reported to be ahead of schedule and could be available for Week 1, the league may not want to take the risk of putting Justin Fields on national TV.
The rest of the teams, however, all have allure. The Dallas Cowboys are obviously a natural pick as a prime-time opponent. And with the Texas Rangers scheduled to be playing the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park that same week, it would be a great doubleheader for fans.
The Patriots would give the NFL a Super Bowl rematch, which is something they always seem to love. The Chargers are a longer shot, as they don’t tend to draw that well in the ratings, but they’re from a huge market and have a franchise quarterback.
Rounding out the choices would be the resurgent Chicago Bears, who, after last year’s playoff run, suddenly find themselves as a compelling draw after decades of invisibility.
If we had to guess, we’d say it will be the Cowboys or the Patriots. But only time will tell. Although the schedule doesn’t typically get released until mid-May, the special games like this tend to get dripped out in the weeks preceding the official announcement.
Schedule Scout
Despite the Sounders game being rescheduled for a few weeks later, the Seattle Mariners are currently scheduled to host the Texas Rangers for a three-game series from September 8-10 at T-Mobile Park across the street. We wouldn’t be terribly surprised to see that game either get moved earlier from its current 6:40 start time, or moved to Monday, September 7. Such a rescheduling would be rare, but it just so happens that both the Mariners and Rangers have off days on Monday. The Rangers would be coming from nearby Sacramento, and the Mariners are already at home that previous weekend, so it would logistically work (other than the odd off day in the middle of a series).
Regardless of how that shakes out, fans will definitely have the opportunity to catch a game at both stadiums on either the same or back-to-back dates.
For the rest of the events taking place in Seattle that week, check out our Ultimate Sports Calendar.
Next Steps
If you’re a Seahawks fan and want to go to Seattle for the opener, you’re definitely in a position to start making travel plans. If you’re a fan of one of the potential opponents, it may be a little early, although you could certainly take a flyer that your team may get the nod by booking a refundable hotel and/or flight reservation.
If you’re a Dallas fan, you should pay particular attention, since the chance for a double-home-team-doubleheader is quite real. Being able to see the Rangers and Cowboys in the same city at the same time is definitely worth considering.
