Santa might be bringing the Seattle Seahawks an early Christmas present this year—and it's shaping up to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2026 NFL season.
According to reports from Dave Mahler of Seattle's KJR radio, the Seahawks are set to host the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day at Lumen Field. That's right: a holiday showdown featuring Sam Darnold, Mike Macdonald, and the defending NFC champions against Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, and their bitter division rivals. It's a rematch of January's NFC title game, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
If the leak holds true, this would mark two historic firsts for the Seahawks: their first-ever Christmas Day game in 51 seasons of franchise history, and their first Wednesday game to kick off the season. Yes, you read that correctly—the Seahawks are reportedly opening the 2026 campaign on Wednesday, September 9, at home against the New England Patriots, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. That would be the first time in a decade the league's opening game lands on a Wednesday.
The Christmas clash is expected to kick off around 5 p.m. local time on FOX, with earlier holiday games streaming on Netflix. The Rams are already slated for two Netflix appearances this season, including a Week 1 trip to Australia to face the San Francisco 49ers, so a third seems unlikely—making this Christmas special all the more plausible.
Seattle has only played on a Friday once before: a 1985 loss to Denver in a primetime ABC special at the Kingdome. But this Christmas game would come with a twist—both teams could be playing on just four days' rest, depending on whether they're scheduled for the Saturday games the weekend prior. That's the kind of grueling turnaround that tests depth, grit, and game-planning.
And if last season was any indication, this rivalry is appointment viewing. The Seahawks and Rams played three thrillers in 2025, with Seattle taking two at home. The most memorable? A 38-37 overtime victory on a Thursday night in December, where the Seahawks erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit. Then came the NFC Championship, a 31-27 win that punched Seattle's ticket to Super Bowl 60.
Whether you're decking the halls in Seahawks blue or Rams royal, this Christmas Day matchup has all the makings of a classic. Mark your calendars—and maybe ask Santa for some extra layers for that Lumen Field chill.