New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks: Date, Time and Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 NFL Kickoff

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will headline a historic NFL Kickoff on Wednesday, September 9, an unusual date for the start of the season that comes as a result of the league’s special scheduling circumstances.

The wait is over. The 2026 NFL season begins this Wednesday with a matchup between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, a game that will hold a unique place in league history because it will be played in the middle of the week.

The NFL traditionally opens its season with a game featuring the reigning Super Bowl champion, but this time the league had to make significant scheduling adjustments because of the first regular-season game to be played in Australia.

Why Are the Patriots vs. Seahawks Playing on Wednesday?

The explanation is connected to the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, scheduled for Thursday as part of Week 1 and set to become the first NFL game played in Australia.

The league needed to ensure that both teams would have enough time to return to the United States afterward, readjust to the time difference and complete their preparation for Week 2. For that reason, the game in Melbourne could not be scheduled too late in the opening-week calendar.

That led the NFL to move the Kickoff matchup between the Seahawks and Patriots to Wednesday night, making it one of the few games in the modern era to be played on that day of the week.

A Historic Wednesday for the NFL

Wednesday games have been extremely rare since 1940. Before this Kickoff, one of the most notable examples came in 2012, when the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants opened the season on a Wednesday.

There was also a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, which was rescheduled because of a COVID-19 outbreak. On Christmas Day in 2024, the league also featured Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans.

Now, New England and Seattle join that short list with a matchup that will officially launch the 2026 campaign.

Patriots vs. Seahawks Date and Time

The game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will take place Wednesday, September 9, as the official kickoff of the 2026 NFL season.