The 2026 NFL regular season starts on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Kickoff is the annual NFL Kickoff Game: the New England Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and NFL+.
It is a rematch of Super Bowl LX and a rare Wednesday opener—the first season-opening Wednesday game since 2012. There are no NFL games on Sunday, September 6; Week 1 continues Thursday through Monday, September 10–14.
Source: NFL.com — 2026 Week 1 schedule