Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Each week we ask questions of the most plugged-in Seattle Seahawks fans and fans across the country.
The latest SB Nation Reacts survey is in, and Seattle Seahawks fans appear to have little doubt about which opponent represents the biggest challenge during the opening stretch of the 2026 season.
After asking readers which of Seattle’s first five games looks the most difficult on paper, the results came back with a clear winner: the San
Francisco 49ers.
A massive 63% of voters selected the Week 5 matchup against San Francisco at Lumen Field as the toughest game of the opening month-plus of the season. The gap between the 49ers and the rest of the field was enormous, showing that despite Seattle entering 2026 as defending Super Bowl champions, fans still view the division rivalry as the biggest measuring stick early in the year.
The full results:
- 49ers at home — 63%
- Chargers at home — 23%
- Patriots at home — 10%
- At Commanders — 3%
- At Cardinals — 1%
The survey itself was prompted by Seattle’s intriguing start to the season, which includes a Super Bowl rematch against New England, two road trips, and back-to-back home games against playoff-caliber opponents.
Even with the Seahawks opening the year against the Patriots in banner night conditions, fans still placed the 49ers comfortably above every other opponent. That likely says as much about the rivalry itself as it does San Francisco’s roster.
The NFC West remains one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions, and Seattle knows firsthand how quickly divisional games can reshape a season. Mike Macdonald’s team may be coming off a championship run, but familiarity, roster continuity, and the physical style San Francisco traditionally brings continue to command respect among the fanbase.
The Chargers finishing second with 23% is surprising. Jim Harbaugh’s team is expected to be one of the AFC’s tougher opponents again in 2026, and that matchup arrives immediately before the Seahawks host San Francisco. It creates a potentially bruising two-week stretch early in the season.
Meanwhile, the Patriots received just 10% of the vote despite being the defending AFC champions and Seattle’s opponent in the season opener. Some of that may stem from the game being played at Lumen Field, where the Seahawks have been dominant, while some may simply reflect greater concern about division games carrying heavier long-term implications.
To finish, the road games against Washington and Arizona barely registered in the voting. Combined, they accounted for only 4% of responses.
Seattle’s opening five-game stretch has already generated plenty of discussion since the NFL released the full 2026 schedule. The Seahawks begin the year with New England before traveling to Arizona and Washington, then return home for consecutive games against the Chargers and 49ers.
If the early returns from this survey are any indication, Seahawks fans already have Week 5 circled on the calendar.
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