2026 NFL schedule opens with Seahawks on a Wednesday, Australia debuting next night
Nate DavisThe start of the 2026 NFL regular season is going to look a touch different.
The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will kick things off, as is customary for the reigning champs − but on Sept. 9, which falls on a Wednesday this year. The opponent they host at Lumen Field will be revealed at a later date when the bulk of the league's schedule is released, typically in May.
On Sept. 10, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will continue the glut of NFC West teams out of the gate as they face off in the league's initial regular-season game in Australia. It will be the first of a record nine international dates on the 2026 season's ledger.
“We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, enhancing an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams,” said Stephanie Cheng, the head of the Rams' international department, said in a statement.
“Every time members of our organization visit, including earlier this month, we see first-hand the growing excitement from folks across Melbourne in anticipation of this game. Not only will it be special playing the 49ers on a Friday morning in Australia, it also will be great for our fans back at home to be able to watch this match up in primetime on Thursday night.”
With Labor Day falling on Sept. 7 this year, the league had to advance its first batch of games − the defending champions usually open on a Thursday night, and the NFL has staged games in Brazil on the subsequent Friday in recent years − so as not to conflict with high school contests and broadcast rules across the country. The 2012 season was the last to start on a Wednesday because President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention created a conflict on Thursday that year.
When does the 2026 NFL season kick off?
Seahawks' Week 1 opener
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
Where: Seattle's Lumen Field
Teams: The Seattle Seahawks' opening night opponent is TBD. The teams they could potentially host that night include the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants and New England Patriots in what would be a rematch of Super Bowl 60.
When: 8:20 p.m. ET
Broadcast: NBC, Peacock
International opener, second game of Week 1
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10
Where: Melbourne, Australia's Melbourne Cricket Ground
Teams: The Los Angeles Rams will be the designated home team and will face their longtime division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers
When: approximately 8:35 p.m. ET
Broadcast: TBD
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