The 2026 NFL season is shaping up to be a blockbuster from the very first snap, and it all starts with a Super Bowl rematch that fans won't want to miss. According to reports from Jordan Schultz, the Seattle Seahawks are set to host the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9—kicking off the regular season just 17 weeks from tonight.

If this holds true, it marks the first Week 1 Super Bowl rematch in a decade. The last time we saw this was in 2016, when the Denver Broncos faced the Carolina Panthers after Super Bowl 50. That opener was a nail-biter, with Denver edging out a 21-20 win after a missed 50-yard field goal by Panthers kicker Graham Gano in the final seconds. This time, the stakes feel just as high, but the matchup carries a different energy.

Seattle dominated Super Bowl LX, cruising to a 29-13 victory that felt more like a vintage 1970s-style suffocation than a modern shootout. The Patriots, frankly, looked outmatched—so much so that if they played 10 times, it's hard to imagine them winning once. Now, New England gets an immediate shot at redemption, but this time it's not on a neutral field. They'll have to travel to the hostile confines of Lumen Field in Seattle, where the Seahawks will be raising their championship banner—a ritual the Patriots know all too well.

With five of Seattle's nine home opponents already committed elsewhere for Week 1 (the 49ers, Rams, Giants, Cowboys, and Chiefs), only four possibilities remained: the Cardinals, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots. The league is expected to make the official announcement by 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night. For now, all signs point to a season opener that promises to deliver fireworks from the very first whistle.