Happy New Year to those who celebrate: the 2026 NFL season has arrived.
The Seattle Seahawks begin their quest to defend their Super Bowl 60 victory in a matchup against the team they beat to capture the Lombardi Trophy, the New England Patriots, on Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC).
Seattle kicks off their campaign with a couple of notable changes, both on the field and in the front office. They'll have a new-look backfield, as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III found a new home with the Kansas City Chiefs. They'll also enter with new ownership, as a group led by the Khosla family takes over from the long-reigning Allen family.
The Patriots also enter the season with a notable addition: wide receiver A.J. Brown joins New England's aerial attack,
offering a major target for quarterback Drake Maye as he looks to build on his dominant 2025 season. Otherwise, eyes are on star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who earned a massive deal just in time for the startof the NFL season.
Drama, action, storylines and more, it's the first of 272 NFL games coming your way. USA TODAY Sports provides live updates, highlights and more from the matchup below.
How, where to watch Seahawks vs. Patriots game
- Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Peacock| Fubo
Don't miss a minute of NFL action all season with Fubo (free trial)
Seahawks vs. Patriots live updates
Patriots inactives vs. Seahawks
06:54 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe RiveraThe Patriots have listed seven players on their Week 1 inactives list, including emergency third quarterback Behren Morton. Here's who's riding the pine in the Super Bowl rematch tonight:
Tea-less in Seattle
06:34 PM ET, September 9 2026, Nate DavisSEATTLE – One of the, well, perks of covering a Seahawks game at Lumen Field is the free Starbucks in the press box, espresso service from 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. PT today. The stand has been faithfully run by Xue since 2013 – and, yes, that means her presence has coincided with both of Seattle’s successful runs to the Lombardi Trophy. “They don’t like to give me a game off,” she joked to USA TODAY Sports ... while faithfully making a cafe mocha.
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05:45 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe RiveraThe NFL captivates an audience like no other sport. And fans crave what’s currently going on and what’s potentially coming next from their favorite NFL team.
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Why is the 2026 NFL season starting on a Wednesday?
05:30 PM ET, September 9 2026, Jack McKessyThe scheduling quirk behind year's season-opener has nothing to do with politics. It has only to do with the NFL's expansion of its International Series of games.
In 2026, the NFL will play its first regular-season game in Australia. That game – between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams – is scheduled to take place at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, Sept. 11 local time.
Due to the time difference, the 49ers-Rams matchup will air at 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 10. That allows the NFL to avoid encroaching on federal laws that prohibit the league from playing games on Fridays and Saturdays that would conflict with high school and college football calendars.
Seahawks vs. Patriots TV channel
05:15 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe Rivera- TV channel: NBC
NBC will broadcast the 2026 season opener. Mike Tirico will be in the booth alongside Cris Collinsworth, with Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung patrolling the sidelines.
Rules analyst Terry McAulay will provide insight to officiating decisions.
Seahawks vs. Patriots AI prediction
05:00 PM ET, September 9 2026, Jacob CamenkerWe asked Microsoft Copilot to predict every Week 1 matchup. Here's what it said about the NFL opener:
Seattle Seahawks 24, New England Patriots 20
AI's take: Copilot cited three factors as influencing its decision to pick the Seahawks to beat the Patriots. It likes Seattle's "defense and continuity" and also opined the Seahawks have "one of the league's strongest home-field advantages." The chatbot did, however, express confidence that Drake Maye would take another step forward in his development.
Our take: The Patriots have upgraded their offense during the offseason, but it's still early to expect them to be able to knock off the Seahawks. Seattle beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl 60, thriving thanks to its ability to get consistent pressure on Maye, and is rightly favored to beat the Patriots again to open the 2026 season.
What time is the Seahawks-Patriots game?
04:30 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe Rivera- Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET | 5:20 p.m. PT
The Seahawks-Patriots game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT) on Wednesday night. The Patriots travel to Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington for the Super Bowl rematch.
Seahawks vs. Patriots live stream
04:15 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe Rivera- Stream: Fubo (free trial) | Peacock
Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, Fox, ABC, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you'll be able to catch NFL action all season with the streaming service. Fubo also offers a free trial.
Peacock, NBC's streaming service, will also carry the game.
Watch the NFL all season long with Fubo (free trial)
Where to watch Seahawks vs. Patriots tonight
04:00 PM ET, September 9 2026, Joe Rivera- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Fubo (free trial) | Peacock
- Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT)
NBC will broadcast the Seahawks vs. Patriots NFL opener on Wednesday night. NBC will broadcast the matchup.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seahawks vs. Patriots live updates: TV channel, start time, stream, where to watch
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