Patriots vs. Seahawks: Everything to know about the NFL’s 2026 Kickoff

The 2026 NFL season is set to begin with an immediate rematch of the most recent Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will meet again this Wednesday, September 9, at Lumen Field, just seven months after facing each other in Super Bowl LX.

Seattle enters as the defending champion after beating New England 29-13 on February 8. Now, Sam Darnold and Drake Maye will face each other again in an NFL Kickoff that features several historical curiosities.

A Super Bowl rematch rarely seen in Week 1

The NFL rarely opens a new season with a rematch of the Super Bowl. Patriots vs. Seahawks will be just the third Week 1 game in NFL history to feature the same teams that played in the championship game the previous season.

The first instance came in 1970, when the Kansas City Chiefs visited the Minnesota Vikings after defeating them in Super Bowl IV. It took 46 years for it to happen again, when the Carolina Panthers opened the 2016 season by visiting the Denver Broncos, who had defeated them in Super Bowl 50. Seattle and New England will complete that short list in 2026.

The date is unusual as well. It will be just the second time an NFL season-opening game has been played on a Wednesday. The only previous instance came in 2012, when the Dallas Cowboys faced the New York Giants.

Seattle begins its Super Bowl LX title defense

The Seahawks return to Lumen Field after a season that ended with them lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy while allowing just 17.2 points per game, the best mark in the NFL.

Sam Darnold was one of the key pieces of that championship run. In his first season with Seattle, he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, subsequently becoming just the fourth quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his first year with a team.

Before him, Trent Dilfer did it with Baltimore, Tom Brady with Tampa Bay, and Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba also enters the season after a historic campaign. He led the entire NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, a franchise record, while also recording 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

His production put him in an even more exclusive group. Only Cooper Kupp, Drew Pearson, and Jerry Rice had previously finished a season as the NFL’s receiving-yards leader and then gone on to win the Super Bowl that same year.

Drake Maye returns to the site of his defeat

New England will have its first opportunity to respond after the 29-13 loss suffered in February. The Patriots reached their 12th Super Bowl, the most appearances by any franchise, behind an outstanding season from Drake Maye.

The quarterback completed 72% of his passes in 2025 and finished with 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. His 113.5 passer rating was the best among all NFL quarterbacks, while he led the AFC in both passing yards and touchdown passes.

Maye threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle in Super Bowl LX, although New England’s offense was unable to score more than 13 points.

The challenge will once again be significant: Seattle finished 2025 sixth in total defense, third against the run, and first in points allowed.

A.J. Brown could make his Patriots debut

One of the biggest differences from the Super Bowl will come in New England’s receiving corps. A.J. Brown is in position to play his first game with the Patriots after recording 78 receptions, 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns with Philadelphia in 2025.

Brown has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns in six of his first seven seasons. If he reaches both marks again in 2026, he would join Mike Evans, Randy Moss and Jerry Rice as the only players to accomplish the feat in seven of their first eight seasons.

Romeo Doubs could also make his New England debut, while Hunter Henry returns after setting a career high with 768 receiving yards last season.

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