With the NFL Draft now in the history books, the final major offseason event before the opening of training camps later this summer will be the release of the 2026 schedule. That will drop at some point this month.
What we do know for sure is that the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will kick off the new season at home on Wednesday September 9. There are seven potential opponents for the earlier-than-usual season opener because the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers play in Melbourne, Australia, one day later. They are out of this particular scheduling equation.
So, who would you like to see the Seahawks face in Week 1? I have ranked the games in order of my own personal preference.
- Chicago Bears
The Bears won 12 games (including the playoffs) last season and were the number two seed in the NFC, behind Seattle. This game would represent a chance for two genuine contenders in the conference to lay down an early marker. And I would love to see the season launched with the exciting Caleb Williams taking on Seattle's Dark Side defense. This would be absolute Box Office out of the gate and could impact playoff seedings come January. Although that in itself could be viewed as a negative, this game will grab the attention after seven long months and announce the NFL's return in grand style.
- New England Patriots
Full disclosure, I was going to put the Kansas City Chiefs in this spot, but will Patrick Mahomes be available from the first week of the season? That small shred of doubt has made me go in another direction. How about a Super Bowl rematch and a classic revenge game instead? This contest would offer Patriots quarterback Drake Maye a national stage upon which to shine after failing badly against Seattle in the Super Bowl. And embattled head coach Mike Vrabel would be able to put the attention – he hopes – back on the field after a controversial offseason on the personal front. For Seattle, it is an early chance to remind the rest of the NFL that they are the team to beat.
- Kansas City Chiefs
This game does not have nearly the same wow factor or star appeal if Patrick Mahomes is in street clothes watching Justin Fields take on the league's best defense. But I have faith that Mahomes is going to be a special talent when it comes to rehabbing, not just when it comes to winning football games. I think he will be on the field and lining up just behind him will be Kenneth Walker, Seattle's MVP of Super Bowl 60. Despite much change and a down year in which they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Chiefs seem to feel good about producing a bounce-back campaign. This is an early chance for them to prove that they can rise off the canvas.
- Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys fielded the league's second-ranked attack in 2025 and they will return all of their offensive starters after star wide receiver George Pickens reluctantly signed his franchise tag contract for the coming year. Dak Prescott shone brightly for chunks of last season and Dallas are well placed on that side of the ball to present Seattle's defense with one of their toughest challenges all year. It will also be interesting to see if the Cowboys have genuinely affected their 30th-ranked defense with the trade for edge rusher Rashaan Gary and the first-round selections of safety Caleb Downs and pass rusher Malachi Lawrence.
- New York Giants
Even though the Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs in 2025 and the New York Giants have been irrelevant for a few years now, I would rather see the Big Blue on opening night. The Giants have some Box Office players of their own on offense in quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo and fit-again receiver Malik Nabers. So, they can put up a fight against Seattle. There is also top talent on defense, especially in the front season, even with the offseason trade of Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati. But I'm most intrigued to see how this franchise looks with John Harbaugh at the helm. The veteran head coach is a proven winner and an outstanding programme-builder. I want to see what kind of team he fields in 2026 and beyond.
- Los Angeles Chargers
There are a lot of talented players to like on the Chargers, most notably franchise quarterback Justin Herbert. And Jim Harbaugh is an excellent leader of men who will now team with a potentially-excellent offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, formerly the leader of the Miami Dolphins. So, there is cause for optimism. But the reality is that the Chargers have not won a really big game since they had San Diego in front of their name and not Los Angeles. They still feel like a work in progress. That said, they would give Seattle a good game. The Chargers' defense is very respectable indeed (ranked 5th in the NFL in 2026) and at least early-season Herbert should have a full complement of offensive linemen to keep that Seattle pass rush at bay.
- Arizona Cardinals
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah described the 2025 Arizona Cardinals as being "bad and boring." They should draw more positive feelings out of pundits in 2026, but don't be fooled into thinking this is a playoff team when either Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew will be leading the way at quarterback. The Cardinals have undergone another changing of the guard with Mike LaFleur installed as the new head coach and it was hardly a move that wowed the American football world. Arizona will be worth a sideways glance or two with explosive rookie Jeremiyah Love at running back and he would face a stern test against Seattle in Week 1. But the fact is that the Cardinals hardly have enough clout to command any stand-alone prime-time game, let alone the season opener against the defending champs.
