The Seahawks open their title defense with a rare Week 1 Super Bowl rematch vs the Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks will kick off their 2026 NFL season by facing the New England Patriots in a rare Week 1 Super Bowl rematch. This marks only the third time in NFL history that two teams that met in the previous year's championship play each other at the start of a new season. The last instance occurred in 2016, when the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 21-20 in Week 1, while the first merger-era match-up happened in 1970 when the Minnesota Vikings avenged a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a 27-10 victory.

Defending champion New England is eager to start the season strong, with quarterback Drake Maye stating, "We're on to something new." Seahawks cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will face off again after their stellar performance in Super Bowl 60, where the Patriots emerged victorious 29-13. With the Patriots having lost four of their last five season openers and coach Mike Vrabel boasting a 2-5 record in that category, both teams are eager to prove themselves on the field.