Has an NFL season ever started on a Wednesday? Seahawks plan could make history
The Seattle Seahawks are set to open the 2026 NFL season, but it may not happen on the traditional Thursday night, but a Wednesday instead.
The NFL may be preparing to break one of its longest-standing traditions. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the league is considering opening the 2026 season with the Seattle Seahawks playing on Wednesday, September 9, instead of the traditional Thursday night kickoff.
The current plan is for the #Seahawks to open the season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, rather than the traditional Thursday opener, per @JBFlint of @WSJ.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 18, 2026
The Rams–49ers game from Melbourne, Australia would then take place the next day on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/kWUNlTeSKN
If finalized, it would mark a highly unusual start to the season, and potentially a historic one.
Why the NFL is considering a Wednesday opener in 2026
For years, the NFL has opened its regular season on a Thursday night, typically featuring the defending Super Bowl champion at home. A move to Wednesday would represent a significant shift in scheduling, raising questions about why the league would deviate from its usual format.
The reported change is tied to a unique international scheduling situation. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are set to play a game in Melbourne, Australia, one of the NFL’s most ambitious international ventures to date.
Because of the significant travel and time difference involved, that game is expected to take place on Thursday, September 10, local time. In order to avoid competing with that showcase event and to properly space out the opening games, the league is exploring moving the traditional opener up one day.
Has the NFL ever opened a season on a Wednesday before?
Yes, but only once in modern NFL history. The league last opened a season on a Wednesday in 2012, when the New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys on September 5. That game was moved up from Thursday to avoid conflicting with President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The decision was highly unusual at the time. In fact, it marked the first Wednesday NFL game since 1948, showing just how rare the scheduling shift was. Outside of that exception, the NFL has consistently opened its season on a Thursday night since 2002, making any move away from that tradition significant.
If the reported plan for 2026 is finalized, it would be only the second time in more than a decade, and just the second time in the modern era, that the NFL begins its season on a Wednesday.
As the league continues to grow internationally, changes like this could become more common, even if it means rewriting long-standing traditions.
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