NFL season opens with Super Bowl rematch between Patriots and Seahawks
New England will face Seattle in a regular-season replay of Super Bowl LX, with the Seahawks’ championship banner ceremony preceding the game.
The 2026 NFL season will begin with the New England Patriots visiting the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won. The regular-season fixture will not carry a trophy, but New England will be present for Seattle’s championship banner ceremony before the game.
The opening-week rematch is the NFL’s first since 2016, when Carolina and Denver met after Super Bowl 50. For the Patriots, the fixture brings an immediate return to the defeat that ended their previous season.
Patriots receiver Demario Douglas told Fox Sports the loss “hurt” and said the team had reviewed the game critically. He said quarterback Drake Maye had been hard on himself, while stressing that responsibility rested with all 11 players rather than one individual.
Maye has described the defeat as “humbling”. The rematch gives New England an early opportunity to respond on the field, although the result will form part of the regular season rather than decide a championship.
Week 1 also includes the Los Angeles Rams’ match against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Fox Sports also previews the New Orleans Saints–Detroit Lions fixture, while highlighting a schedule that marks the start of the new NFL season.
