The Seahawks’s 29–13 throttling of the Patriots in Super Bowl LX did a lot for the NFL’s northwestern-most club. It solidified Sam Darnold as a championship-caliber quarterback, validated John Schneider as one of the league’s top executives, and reestablished Seattle as one of the top franchises in all of football.
What it also did, is guarantee that they’ll open up the 2026 season in primetime.
Since 2004, it’s become tradition for the NFL to open its season with the defending Super Bowl champion hosting the league’s annual NFL Kickoff Game—typically a standalone, prime-time matchup that serves as the official start of the new campaign.
While said game tends to take place on a Thursday night—in turn kicking off Thursday Night Football for the remainder of the season—there have been a handful of exceptions over the years, one of which will take place in 2026 with Seattle as the host.
Because the NFL is also playing a game in Melbourne, Australia in Week 1—and must abide by the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, explained here—the Seahawks will hold this year’s NFL Kickoff Game from Lumen Field on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the 49ers and Rams playing Down Under on Thursday, Sept. 10.
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The aforementioned international bout between San Francisco and Los Angeles is currently the lone confirmed matchup of the 2026 season so far. While we know who each team will face next season, when they’ll face off won’t be revealed until the league’s much-anticipated schedule release coming later this offseason.
For now? We’re left to guess.
Knowing that Seattle is set for home games against Arizona, Los Angeles (Rams), San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Chargers), New England, and New York (Giants) in 2026—and with both the Rams and 49ers already locked into a Week 1 game against each other—here’s a ranked list of the best possible opponents for the Seahawks to open the 2026 NFL season against.
7. Cardinals
Mike LaFleur is entering his first season as the Cardinals’s head coach. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
A Kyler Murray-less Arizona team with a new head coach and a depleted roster? Next.
6. Giants
The Giants are equipped with quite the young duo heading into 2026. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
New York is led by a spry, dynamic duo in the backfield with QB Jaxson Dart and RB Cam Skattebo and a seasoned head coach in John Harbaugh. They’re an under-the-radar club that could potentially make some noise in 2026.
That said, there are far better opponents for the Seahawks to take on in Week 1. This matchup is better suited for later on in the season, when the Giants have potentially proven their worth.
5. Chargers
Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers will play the Seahawks in Seattle in 2026. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Chargers vs. Seahawks in Week 1 just screams “meh”.
Are the two teams riddled with talent? Yes. Are they a must-see, box office matchup when pinned against each other? Even without NFL football for seven months, I don’t see it.
4. Cowboys
The Cowboys and Seahawks haven’t played since 2023. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The Cowboys own one of the league’s top offenses with quarterback Dak Prescott throwing to the likes of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, among others, and have the potential to give Seattle’s staunch defense fits in a primetime window.
Dallas did, however, take on the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in the NFL Kickoff Game in 2025. Would the league put America’s team in that spot two years in a row?
3. Bears
The Seahawks beat Caleb Williams and the Bears 6–3 in 2024. | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
Led by former No. 1 pick Caleb Williams on offense and a takeaway-hungry defense that led the league in forced turnovers, the Bears won the NFC North in 2025 before coming up just short of a conference title game appearance—where they would have faced the Seahawks with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
The two teams will square off in 2026 for the first time in two years, and a Week 1 bout would certainly warrant eyeballs.
2. Patriots
A Super Bowl LX rematch to kick off the NFL season makes too much sense. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
How do you say no to a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the season? Easy, a healthy Patrick Mahomes (see below).
Before we get there, though, Patriots vs. Seahawks in Week 1 would serve as quite the litmus test to not only see how much New England has improved this offseason, but also if Seattle will be suffering from an early-season Super Bowl hangover.
1. Chiefs
If Patrick Mahomes is healthy, Chiefs vs. Seahawks should be the matchup in Week 1. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Mahomes underwent surgery last December to repair a torn ACL and LCL that he suffered in Chiefs’s Week 15 loss to the Chargers. Now on the road to recovery, the three-time Super Bowl champion posted a video to social media this week of him back to throwing, and has said he’s working to be ready for Week 1.
If Mahomes is healthy, Chiefs vs. Seahawks would be a slam-dunk season-opener. Having said that, the NFL schedule is released in May, so it would take some serious forecasting to assume he’ll be able to play.
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