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• WHERE: Lumen Field (Seattle)
• WHEN: 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock, Â鶹¹ú²ú

We've come full circle.

Seven months after defeating the Patriots to lift their franchise's second Lombardi Trophy, the Seahawks will begin their Super Bowl defense by hosting New England in the NFL Kickoff Game.

The Pats-Seahawks showdown will mark the first season-opening Super Bowl rematch since 2016, when the schedule makers sent the Panthers into Mile High to face the Broncos. As they did in Super Bowl 50, Denver again emerged victorious.

Can the Seahawks follow suit in front of their faithful 12s?

Quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and many of Seattle's offensive playmakers will be back to try to do so, though the backfield will have a Super Bowl MVP-sized hole following Kenneth Walker III's departure for the Chiefs in free agency. First-round pick Jadarian Price and newcomer Emanuel Wilson will likely lead the charge on the ground as Zach Charbonnet continues to recuperate from a knee injury. The Seahawks' championship defense remains largely the same, too, having lost Boye Mafe, Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant but kept the majority of its key playmakers and filled in depth behind them with signings such as pass rusher Dante Fowler or draft picks like second-round safety Bud Clark.

The Patriots, thoroughly defeated, 29-13, by the Seahawks in February, will get an immediate answer as to whether they've evolved enough over the offseason to leapfrog Seattle as contenders on Wednesday of Week 1. Gone is Stefon Diggs, last year's leading receiver on the team, but Drake Maye has a new expensive weapon in Romeo Doubs, and questions regarding if A.J. Brown might rejoin his former coach Mike Vrabel via an eventual trade from the Eagles have refused to go away. One of the league's most underrated defenses from last season, led by Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive tackle Milton Williams, remains stocked full and will be motivated to resoundingly turn the page from its Super Bowl defeat.

Whatever the result, the Kickoff Game promises to be a fitting tone-setter for the 2026 campaign, pitting last season's best two teams against each other again.

-- Bobby Kownack

• WHERE: Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Australia)
• WHEN: 8:35 p.m. ET | Netflix

As the NFL embarks on new ground Down Under, the league's Australian debut might well be the most high-profile international offering of the season, with NFC West rivals and 2025 playoff teams facing off in a huge matchup.

Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams' galaxy of all-stars are aiming for a Super Bowl after advancing to last season's NFC Championship Game. The matchup is also slated to mark the debut of former Chiefs standout Trent McDuffie, a prized offseason acquisition for L.A. The 49ers, who made it to the Divisional Round last season, should also see the returns of injured defensive stalwarts Fred Warner and Nick Bosa in this one.

Offense grabs the marquee, though, and fans will have ample reason to get their fantasy lineups locked in early as the 49ers' Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey will look to keep up with Stafford, Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Los Angeles has won four of the last five in the Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan rivalry entering what will stand as the season's second game.

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Forever linked by a 2023 trade that led to their selections as No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back years, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams will square off for the second time in their burgeoning careers, but the first as opposing starters.

Williams and the Bears bested the Panthers, 36-10, in 2024, with a benched Young coming on during garbage time. His return to being the Panthers’ face of the future since includes an NFC South-winning campaign a year ago.

Similarly, Williams and the Bears are coming off an NFC North title-winning season bolstered by a riveting wild-card win over the hated Packers.

Both clubs are aiming to continue their ascents and stiff-arm the notion of being one-year wonders.

Boding well for Carolina, Jaelan Phillips -- the top free agent pass rusher -- will make his team debut. 

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Notoriously slow starters, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are set to host the Buccaneers to kick off their 2026 campaign. 

After finally snapping a three-year Week 1 losing streak last season, misfortune struck Cincinnati when Burrow suffered a turf toe injury the following game, derailing the club’s season and contributing to a third consecutive missed postseason.

Injuries hit the Buccaneers hard, as well. Many on the defense's contributors missed time, there was a revolving door at the skill positions and Baker Mayfield was a frequent flyer on the injury report as Tampa Bay eventually fell short of the postseason for the first time since 2019. 

Both teams will have had months to lick their wounds and begin anew. The much-maligned Bengals defense might be without Trey Hendrickson, gone to the rival Ravens, but newly acquired defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is sure to make life difficult up the middle for running back Bucky Irving and Mayfield, who no longer has franchise legend Mike Evans to lean on. 

Regardless, there should still be fireworks aplenty from wideouts on both teams in a matchup that features the league’s preeminent duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins versus the Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin.

-- Bobby Kownack

• WHERE: Ford Field (Detroit)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Last year, the Lions offense came out sleepy in a Week 1 loss to the Packers and -- despite eventually finishing fourth in scoring -- never seemed to fully find its groove, leading the team to fire offensive coordinator John Morton after one season.

This year, Detroit will play Week 1 host to the Saints, hoping to prove the previous season’s playoff miss was an aberration. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will have much of the same cast of playmakers the club employed last year. Jared Goff is sure to sprinkle targets to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and perhaps touchdown maven Isaac TeSlaa will get more involved. Tight end Sam LaPorta is due back from injury, and though he’ll be supplemented by Isiah Pacheco, Jahmyr Gibbs now rules the backfield roost following David Montgomery’s trade to the Texans.

The Saints could very likely keep up with the Lions, though, especially if Tyler Shough carries his late-season heater into Year 2. New Orleans did its best to increase those odds, signing Travis Etienne after his career year to bolster the backfield alongside Alvin Kamara and drafting Jordyn Tyson with the eighth-overall pick to pair with Chris Olave.

New Orleans has geared up to strike the same type of turnaround Detroit did under Dan Campbell a few seasons ago. Downing the Lions in one of the more under-the-radar exciting Week 1 matchups would help kick-start such a mission.

-- Bobby Kownack

• WHERE: NRG Stadium (Houston)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

One of the NFL’s most celebrated offenses will square off with one of the league’s most formidable defenses in a Week 1 showdown between AFC heavyweights. 

In his first game as a head coach, Joe Brady has the unenviable task of facing off with DeMeco Ryan’s vaunted defense, which features the monstrous pass-rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. 

The biggest superstar of the bunch in this one is Josh Allen, as the Bills QB rolls into his first NFL season playing under a head coach who isn’t Sean McDermott. Opposite Allen, Texans signal-caller C.J. Stroud is coming off an ugly playoff performance and will have the eyes of Texas gazed upon him as he aims to silence the doubters. 

Though the head coaching change is the most notable for Buffalo, Week 1 will give a first look at additions DJ Moore at wide receiver and Bradley Chubb at edge, along with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who played three games for Houston last year. The Texans have a couple debuts to watch for, too, with ex-Eagles safety Reed Blankenship and former Lions running back David Montgomery now on board. 

The Bills have advanced to the Divisional Round or beyond in six straight seasons, while the Texans have advanced that far for three consecutive campaigns. This is a massive AFC showdown right out of the gates. 

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

Jesse Minter will travel to Indianapolis for his Ravens head coaching debut.

Along with him will be Lamar Jackson, motivated to bounce back after missing the playoffs for just the second time in his career last season. That failure cost John Harbaugh his job and ushered in Minter, a defensive mind who would benefit from guiding Baltimore’s D back closer to its heyday after finishing 18th in points allowed in 2025. 

Though the Ravens went offense on four of their first five picks in April’s draft, they will have the debut of second-round pass rusher Zion Young to look forward to, as well as the integration of longtime foe Trey Hendrickson and return of Calais Campbell to a reworked defensive line, a unit that will need to be up to snuff against running back Jonathan Taylor.

With any luck, the matchup will also feature Daniel Jones back under center for the Colts, inked to a two-year deal despite working his way back from a torn Achilles. Having revived his career with Indy, his Week 14 injury unfortunately tanked the team’s chances, leading to a third straight season outside the playoffs for Shane Steichen despite a 7-1 start and potentially setting up a now-or-never fourth campaign for the head coach.

Both of these squads were close enough to a playoff berth last season that they’ve no doubt been tortured by what could’ve been. Come September, they’ll square off dreaming of what could be.

-- Bobby Kownack

• WHERE: EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

Looking to build off an AFC South-winning season, the Jaguars kick off Year 2 under Liam Coen against a Browns squad beginning a new era under Todd Monken.

On paper, it’s a nice draw for the Jags playing a team that’s won only eight games combined over the past two seasons. However, Jacksonville has dropped three straight against Cleveland, its last win over the Browns coming in 2017. 

Can the Browns' Myles Garrett, the reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, pull off a fitting encore to his record-setting 23-sack season? His follow-up tour de force begins in Duval.

Cleveland has two first-rounders set to make their debuts: Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion. Jacksonville had no 2026 opening-round pick because it traded it to these same Browns. And the 2025 No. 2 pick the Jaguars obtained from Cleveland was spent on two-way wunderkind Travis Hunter, who is poised to make his return after his rookie season was cut short by an LCL tear.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a career-best 38 total touchdowns in 2025 and finished fifth in MVP voting. Will T-Law be able to stack back-to-back impressive seasons for the first time in his career? It's a prevailing question for the QB and the franchise, whereas the looming question for the Browns is also at QB.

Last season, quarterback Shedeur Sanders held the starting reins downs the stretch, but he's in a battle for the spot with Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel to determine who leads the Browns onto the field in this one.

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

For the second time in three years, Atlanta and Pittsburgh will open the season as adversaries.

In 2024, Justin Fields and the Steelers prevailed against Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. A new quarterback will be under center for each team. Just who remains a mystery for both.

The 2026 schedule might have been revealed, but Aaron Rodgers' whereabouts and future remain unknown. The Steelers are still waiting to see if Rodgers will return to start for them. If not, it's likely to be second-year slinger Will Howard or rookie Drew Allar, who have combined for a whopping zero NFL snaps.

Michael Penix Jr., provided he's returned from a torn ACL, has been booked for a QB battle versus Tua Tagovailoa to decide the Falcons' starter.

Both franchises are likewise starting anew on the sidelines, with Kevin Stefanski kicking off his tenure as Falcons head coach and Mike McCarthy returning to the HC ranks with his hometown Steelers. Week 1 features 10 teams welcoming new head coaches, but starting a new era is a term that resonates most in Pittsburgh. For the first time since 2006, Mike Tomlin won't lead the Steelers into the season.

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tenn.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

Granted these teams combined for a half-dozen victories in 2025, but there is no shortage of intrigue in this one.

Head coach Robert Saleh begins his time as Titans head coach and does so against the franchise he weathered three-plus tumultuous seasons helming, bringing a handful of former Gang Green players with him, notably Jermaine Johnson II and John Franklin-Myers.

The second act of Geno Smith on Broadway opens in Nashville with New York's 2013 second-rounder already tabbed by Aaron Glenn as the Jets' starter. Perhaps Smith has a second Comeback Player of the Year campaign in him after claiming the hardware in 2022 with the Seahawks.

The second season of 2025 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will also commence, but a whopping five 2026 first-rounders are poised to make their NFL debuts: the Titans' Carnell Tate (the top wide receiver taken) and Keldric Faulk; and the Jets' David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr.. That's 15% of the 2026 first-round class.

It shouldn’t matter that this is the season opener, either. These are teams starving for wins. The Jets carry a five-game losing streak into the season, while the Titans have combined for six victories over the past two seasons and haven’t prevailed in Week 1 since 2020.

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS

All eyes will be on a pair of offensive debuts. 

No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love will run onto the field for the first time with the Cardinals, aiming to live up to the ample hype that saw him sign a record-setting contract already. 

The Chargers will show off their Justin Herbert-offense for the first time under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. 

Jacoby Brissett is likely to be starting at quarterback for the Cardinals as Mike LaFleur begins his time as Arizona’s head coach. LaFleur takes over a team that enters the season on a dreadful nine-game losing streak and is hopeful of pulling off an upset of the Bolts, who have gone to the playoffs in both seasons under Jim Harbaugh and have likewise won back-to-back season openers. 

The game should also feature the awaited returns of Chargers standout offensive linemen Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. 

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX

Could the No. 1 overall selection of the 2026 NFL Draft make his debut?

Fernando Mendoza might be the starter for the Raiders, or it could be veteran Kirk Cousins, but Malik Willis is surely set to begin his time as the Dolphins’ new QB1.

Another matchup of new head coaches is also on the docket in this one, with the added feature of both being rookie HCs: Miami’s Jeff Hafley and Las Vegas’ Klint Kubiak, who was celebrating a Super Bowl triumph with the Seahawks last time he was coaching.

Perhaps no two teams have reconstructed as majorly as the Raiders and Dolphins.

Las Vegas’ rebuild has been celebrated and its opener will see the likely return of Maxx Crosby from a knee injury after his trade to Baltimore wasn’t meant to be. Ballyhooed newcomers Tyler Linderbaum, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker should be ready to shine.

For the Dolphins, they will begin their days serving the dead money penance following the release of Tua Tagovailoa. 

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS

A good old-fashioned NFC North rivalry game awaits the Packers and Vikings in Week 1.

The Packers, who lead the all-time series, 67-61-3, will travel to Minnesota for game No. 132 between the storied franchises. 

Green Bay will have waited a long, long time to wash away the stink of the conclusion to its 2025 season, having dropped five straight games to finish the campaign, capped off by blowing an 18-point halftime lead to another divisional rival, the Bears, in the Wild Card Round.

It’s unknown how close to a return pass rusher Micah Parsons or tight end Tucker Kraft will be from their respective ACL tears, but Jordan Love will be working with a more focused wide receiver corps of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden after the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks thinned out the room a bit. 

All eyes as it pertains to the Vikings will be on who lines up under center. Will J.J. McCarthy overcome some newfound competition to begin a season of redemption after a trying first year as the team’s starter, or will newcomer Kyler Murray win the job and be looking to turn around Minnesota’s fortunes.

Coincidentally, the Vikings ended their season inverse to the Packers with a five-game winning streak, though struggles earlier in the year still led them to miss the playoffs. 

Whichever team gets off on the right foot in Minneapolis will have the first leg up in a stacked NFC North.

-- Bobby Kownack

• WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX

After butting heads twice in the final three weeks of last season, the two-time reigning NFC East-champion Eagles and Commanders get their division rivalry going much earlier this year.

The matchup will be highlighted by the return of Washington’s Jayden Daniels, who suffered an elbow injury that cut his second season short amid a disappointing 5-12 2025 for the Commanders. Daniels missed both games against Philly last season.

His return sets up another showdown between two of the game’s better dual-threat QBs opposite Jalen Hurts.

The wide receiver position could be the most interesting in this one, though.

A.J. Brown’s still on the Eagles roster, but is expected to be traded in the coming weeks, while Philly anticipates the contributions of first-rounder Makai Lemon. The Commanders, on the other hand, have long been linked to welcoming Brandon Aiyuk, who’s still a member of the 49ers but won’t be playing for them anytime soon and is a former college teammate of Daniels.

Defensively, Washington is poised for the debut of No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles.

Though the Eagles have won back-to-back division crowns, they’ve split the season series with Washington each year.

-- Grant Gordon

• WHERE: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
• WHEN: 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock, Â鶹¹ú²ú

Sunday Night Football is going back to a classic rivalry to open its 2026 NFL slate.

The Giants will host the Cowboys to close out Sunday of Week 1, the eighth time in the past 15 seasons the division rivals will square off to open a campaign.

Kicking off SNF with the matchup will bring the eyeballs to NBC. Cowboys and Giants games always attract viewers, and with both clubs entering 2026 with optimism of a swift turnaround after last year's struggles, it's sure to provide more fireworks.

The storylines for the prime-time kickoff are plentiful: Dak Prescott versus Jaxson Dart. New York's pass rush versus the Cowboys' explosive offense. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens versus a revamped Giants secondary. New York's new offense against an overhauled Cowboys defense under new coordinator Christian Parker, which we'll get our first real look at in Week 1. John Harbaugh's first home game in N.Y.

Giddy up, friends.

-- Kevin Patra

• WHERE: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.)
• WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Â鶹¹ú²ú

No strangers to opening their season in prime time, the Kansas City Chiefs will welcome the standalone spotlight once more to begin 2026.

This time around, they’ll be doing so against the team that snapped their nine-season run as AFC West champions when they take on the Denver Broncos at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 14 in the season premiere of Monday Night Football, ESPN announced on Tuesday.

As Andy Reid and Sean Payton prepare their charges for their season debut, the biggest question marks for each will be at quarterback.

All signs point to Denver quarterback Bo Nix being back from an ankle injury suffered in last season’s AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.

Kansas City’s three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is a much more precarious case, as the two-time AP NFL MVP tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 of last season. It’s next door to guaranteed that Mahomes will do everything in his power to be ready for the Week 1 tilt, but his status will likely be the prevailing plot point ahead of the marquee Monday nighter.

As the new season dawns, the game is overflowing with storylines:

• Jaylen Waddle is set to debut for Denver, which boasts most of the same starting regimen from last season’s 14-3 squad that’s viewed by many to be a Super Bowl contender.
• This could well be the last season debut for future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, who has stiff-armed retirement talk each of the last two years. It’s also expected to be his first game as a married man, with Kelce and fiancée/megastar Taylor Swift slated to tie the knot this summer.
• Reid and the Chiefs hadn’t missed the playoffs since 2014 prior to last year’s disastrous 6-11 campaign. This will be the first look at what’s next for the NFL’s most recent dynasty.
• Davis Webb is the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos under offensive maestro Payton. Just how that plays out will start coming into focus against a Chiefs defense that will be markedly different with a fully remade defensive backfield.
• The 2026 season kicks off with the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks in the annual NFL Kickoff Game on the Wednesday prior to his one. Perhaps fittingly, Week 1 will conclude with the Super Bowl LV MVP, Kenneth Walker III, making his Chiefs debut.

-- Grant Gordon