The long wait is finally over. The 2026 NFL season begins tonight, with an unusual Wednesday night matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 60.
If you are searching for NFL tonight, NFL game today, or wondering whether there is an NFL game on Wednesday, September 9, the answer is yes. The 2026 season opens with a standalone Wednesday night contest before the rest of NFL Week 1 continues later in the week.
NFL Game Today: Who Plays Tonight?
There is only one NFL game today, making the opening-night matchup easy to follow.
Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock and Fubo
The matchup is a rematch of Super Bowl 60, where Seattle defeated New England 29-13. The Patriots now have an opportunity to begin the new season with revenge against the defending champions.
For fans searching for football tonight, this is the only NFL regular-season game on the schedule.
Why Is the NFL Playing on Wednesday?
The NFL normally begins its regular season with a Thursday night game, but the NFL schedule 2026 features a different opening.
The Seahawks and Patriots meet on Wednesday, September 9, giving fans an earlier-than-usual start to the regular season. The unusual opener also brings back the two teams that finished the previous season in the Super Bowl.
After Wednesday’s game, the next NFL matchup arrives Thursday night.
Seahawks vs. Patriots Preview
Seattle enters the new season with much of its championship roster intact. The Seahawks are returning 20 of their 22 starters, providing plenty of continuity as they begin their title defense.
One major change comes in the running game. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III has moved to the Kansas City Chiefs, while Zach Charbonnet is unavailable for the opener. Seattle will need other players to step up and help replace that production.
The Patriots, meanwhile, made several moves to improve their offense during the offseason. New England strengthened its offensive line and added wide receiver talent, including A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
However, TreVeyon Henderson is ruled out for the game, which could place greater responsibility on New England’s passing attack.
NFL Schedule 2026: What’s Next in Week 1?
The NFL schedule 2026 begins with Wednesday night’s Seattle-New England matchup and continues through Monday, September 14.
Thursday, September 10
- Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers — 8:35 p.m. ET, Netflix
The Thursday matchup will be played in Melbourne, Australia, adding another international game to the opening week.
Sunday, September 13
Sunday features a packed slate of NFL games, with 13 matchups scheduled throughout the day.
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons — 1 p.m. ET, FOX
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 1 p.m. ET, FOX
- Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears — 1 p.m. ET, FOX
- Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints — 1 p.m. ET, FOX
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens — 1 p.m. ET, CBS
- Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills — 1 p.m. ET, CBS
- Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets — 1 p.m. ET, CBS
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns — 1 p.m. ET, CBS
- Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals — 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers — 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins — 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders — 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
- New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys — 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Monday, September 14
The opening week concludes with:
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos — 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
The matchup completes the opening NFL Week 1 schedule.
How to Watch the NFL Tonight
Fans in the United States can watch the Seahawks-Patriots opener on NBC, while Peacock provides a streaming option. Fubo is another streaming service listed for the game.
The broadcast will feature Mike Tirico on play-by-play, Cris Collinsworth as the analyst and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.
Because there is only one NFL game tonight, the Seahawks-Patriots matchup will have the full spotlight as the 2026 season officially begins.
NFL Week 1 Fantasy Football Impact
The opening game is also important for fantasy football managers. Players from both Seattle and New England could immediately affect fantasy matchups and early-season rankings.
Fantasy managers should pay close attention to injury updates, especially Seattle’s running back situation and New England’s offensive plans without TreVeyon Henderson.
Managers using CBS Fantasy Football and other fantasy platforms should check their lineups and make any necessary adjustments before kickoff.
NFL Games Today: Key Takeaways
The answer to the NFL game today question is simple: there is one game on Wednesday, September 9.
The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at 8:20 p.m. ET, with the game airing on NBC and available through streaming options including Peacock.
The contest provides an immediate Super Bowl rematch and officially launches the 2026 regular season. The action continues Thursday before a full Sunday slate and Monday night finale.
After a seven-month offseason, NFL tonight is finally here. Football is back, and the 2026 NFL season begins with a highly anticipated rematch between the Seahawks and Patriots
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