With the 2026 NFL Draft complete, only one major event stands between the league and its summer break.
A date has yet to be officially set for the schedule release, but it shouldn’t be long before all 32 teams have their regular-season roadmaps. Among the many unknowns: Who will take on the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in a unique season opener?
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The calendar necessitated a shift in Week 1, with the league opting to move its kickoff game to Wednesday to carve out a Thursday slot for the first international clash of the year. That setup also limits the options for the Seahawks’ possible opponents, as the rival Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are set to open their seasons against each other in the league’s first Australia game, thereby eliminating them from consideration.
Still, the NFL has seven candidates from which to pick, with no shortage of accompanying story lines.
Here is our ranking – from worst to best – of the seven possible matchups for the season opener.
NFL SCHEDULE: Home and away matchups for all 32 teams
One of the most lopsided divisional matchups in all of football doesn’t warrant a prime-time slot, let alone a spotlight of this intensity.
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Under first-year coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals might very well be more competitive than last year’s 3-14 group was. But any progress likely won’t materialize immediately, and an offense with a ramshackle offensive line and no certainty behind center shapes up as cannon fodder for the Seahawks’ defense.
Between the gulf in talent and Arizona’s minimal national appeal, this might constitute ratings poison – if such a thing exists in the NFL. Best to keep both of these meetings between NFC West foes in the shadows of the late Sunday afternoon slots somewhere in the middle of the season.
Even without the competitive credentials to justify their standing, the Giants have long been a fixture of the prime-time slate. With John Harbaugh coming aboard, New York figures to be an even bigger draw in 2026.
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Still, opening the season against the Seahawks seems a bit lofty for “Big Blue”. Even with Harbaugh seemingly raising the floor for the organization with his early moves, a Week 1 meeting with the defending champs has strong potential to go sideways for New York. Maybe this could be “Thursday Night Football” material for later in the season, though Seattle could make quick work of a rickety run defense and similarly suspect secondary.
The Cowboys are, above all, a safe bet. “America’s Team” is coming off a year in which it delivered the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history with its Thanksgiving win over the Chiefs, and Dallas delivered massive returns in last year’s kickoff contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Heading into 2026, Jerry Jones’ crew will carry the league’s No. 2 offense from last season and potentially some drama with the George Pickens contract saga.
Still, perhaps it’s time to spread the wealth. If the Cowboys were to be selected, they would be featured in the opener for the third time in six years. Dallas can also juice the prime-time schedule in other slots against lesser opponents, with yet another Week 1 “Sunday Night Football” appearance seemingly a strong possibility. And while things going awry for the franchise only compounds interest, new coordinator Christian Parker might need time to solve the secondary’s repeated meltdowns before the defense can take on reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba with any sort of confidence.
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Patrick Mahomes‘ uncertain timeline for recovery from last season’s torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury throws cold water on an otherwise tantalizing possibility. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt noted at the league meetings he didn’t believe his team would be tapped for the opener, given the X-factor of the quarterback’s health.
If the league were willing to take a leap of faith on Mahomes’ health, though, this would be an alluring choice. No one drives national interest like Kansas City, and last season’s unraveling could only heighten the interest in a franchise that still has a singular standing in wider popular culture. And Kenneth Walker III playing his first game with the Chiefs against the team with which he won Super Bowl 60 MVP would make for a juicy subplot. Still, the safe move seems like etching out a spot for this on a Sunday or Monday night later on.
SUPER BOWL ODDS: Rams, Seahawks lead the way after 2026 NFL Draft
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From a brand standpoint, this might be a non-starter. A West Coast affair is probably a tough sell for the league and NBC, especially given the lack of a traditional top-tier broadcast draw.
Yet it’s hard to ignore just how fun this showdown figures to be, no matter when that occurs. How new coordinator Mike McDaniel molds the Chargers’ offense is one of the great unknowns heading into next season, and Macdonald’s deep and adaptable defense figures to provide a litmus test for the new scheme. Los Angeles‘ reworked offensive line might need time to coalesce, however, particularly against the Seahawks’ unrelenting pass rush.
The Super Bowl 60 rematch will surely be circled by many, regardless of where it lands on the schedule. As the parties responsible for the second-most-watched Super Bowl of all time, the Seahawks and Patriots would be natural candidates to usher in a new campaign.
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The looming possibility of another blowout might be a deterrent here, with the tilt in Santa Clara having been one of the more decisive victories in recent Super Bowl history. Yet the Patriots have unquestionably taken a few lessons from that pummeling, with Jared Wilson moving from left guard to center so as to better support Will Campbell after the left tackle’s postseason struggles. And if New England lands A.J. Brown in a summer trade, the wide receiver could not only change the complexion of the offense but also significantly boost the unit’s ability to break through against Seattle’s defense.
Yet even when it’s been offered the option, the NFL has been reticent to roll with Super Bowl rematches for the season opener, with the last one coming in the 2016 Carolina Panthers-Denver Broncos contest. And after last year’s Week 2 matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles served up a ratings bonanza, the league might be motivated to follow suit and move this to another spot on the September slate.
From any vantage point, this is almost an ideal showcase for the NFL and a fitting way to introduce a new season.
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The top two seeds in the NFC might prove to be one of the most compelling pairings of the season. Between Caleb Williams and Sam Darnold, the big-play flair on display might be unmatched. The chess match between Macdonald and Ben Johnson, two of the NFL’s youngest head coaches and legitimate masterminds on opposite sides of the ball, should be riveting.
While the Rams remain the Seahawks’ primary obstacle in the NFC, the Bears look like one of the few outfits capable of giving the defending champs a real run. As an established contender from a major market with only so many unknowns to account for, Chicago stands above the alternatives as the most captivating option for the league and fans alike.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL schedule release: Ranking season opener matchups for Seahawks
