The Seattle Seahawks are the Super Bowl champions, and with that, they are guaranteed to open their 2026 season in prime time, which is normally on Thursday night, but a report on February 12 opened up the possibility for a Wednesday night opener.More on that below…
Here are the teams slated to travel to Seattle’s Lumen Field this upcoming season, with my thoughts on each potential matchup.
New England Patriots – A Super Bowl XL rematch would have felt more likely had last night’s game been more competitive.
Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift will surely bring eyes to the game, but they’re coming off a six-win season.
Los Angeles Chargers – This would be a fun game, but the L.A. market isn’t necessarily known for popping a huge ratings share.
Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys opened up the 2025 season at the Philadelphia Eagles, so I doubt they get the game again.
New York Giants – Nah.
Arizona Cardinals – Nah 2: Electric Boogaloo
Chicago Bears – If the NFL wants the team that will give them the biggest rating, then the Bears are a no-brainer: Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and Chicago’s offense vs Mike Macdonald and Seattle’s relentless defense.
February 12 Update: Seattle’s division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, are no longer an option for a week one game, as those two teams are reported to be playing Week 1 in Melbourne, Australia. That Rams vs ‘Niners game will either be on Wednesday or Thursday, with Seattle’s home opener taking place the other night.
If the NFL picks a team besides Chicago to travel to Seattle, then a Bears Sunday Night Football opener against the Green Bay Packers makes a lot of sense.
