Seattle will open up the 2026 NFL season on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
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.
Since 2004, it’s become tradition for the NFL to open its season with the defending Super Bowl champion hosting the league’s annual—typically a standalone, prime-time matchup that serves as the official start of the new campaign.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,The aforementioned international bout between San Francisco and Los Angeles is currently the lone confirmed matchup of the 2026 season so far. While they'll face off won't be revealed until the league's much-anticipated schedule release coming later this offseason.Knowing that Seattle is set for home games against Arizona, Los Angeles , San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles , New England, and New York 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.Mike LaFleur is entering his first season as the Cardinals's head coach. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe 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.Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers will play the Seahawks in Seattle in 2026. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesAre 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.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.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.A Super Bowl LX rematch to kick off the NFL season makes too much sense. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesBefore we get there, though, Patriots vs. Seahawks in Week 1 would serve as quite the litmus test to not only seeIf 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 championIf 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.Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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