NFL publishes full 2026 regular-season schedule, highlights include Patriots at Seahawks

The NFL released its full 2026 regular-season schedule on Thursday, setting a Wednesday night opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9 at Lumen Field. The league said the 18-week, 272-game schedule will end with 16 division games in Week 18 on Jan. 9-10. NBC, Peacock and NFL+ will carry the opener, according to the league’s Week 1 release. Seattle opens as the defending Super Bowl champion after beating New England in Super Bowl LX, and the rematch gives the league a title-game callback in its first national window of the season. The full slate also locks in dates, kickoff times and broadcast assignments across CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, Prime Video, Netflix and NFL Network, according to NFL schedule pages and Football Operations materials. (media.nfl.com) ### Why is the season starting on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday? Sept. 9 falls on a Wednesday, and the league designated that night for the Kickoff Game in Seattle. NFL.com’s Week 1 release lists Patriots-Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET, one day before the first Thursday Night Football game of the season. The NFL’s full schedule announcement says the regular season begins on Wednesday night in Seattle and then moves into the usual Sunday and Monday windows in Week 1. (nfl.com) The league has used standalone opening-night windows before when the calendar required an adjustment around its season launch. ### Which part of the schedule changed the most this year? (nfl.com) Nine international games are the largest single expansion point in the 2026 schedule. The NFL said the games will be played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums, the most international games in one season in league history. May 13 league materials said 2026 will include the first regular-season games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris, while also returning to London, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City. (media.nfl.com) The international schedule was released a day before the full domestic slate. ### What is new about the holiday schedule? Week 12 adds the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game, with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. (media.nfl.com) ET. NFL Football Operations said the game starts a holiday run that also includes the traditional Thanksgiving Day tripleheader and a Black Friday game. The holiday package extends beyond November. (media.nfl.com) NFL.com’s 2026 schedule-release hub lists dedicated Thanksgiving and Christmas windows as part of the league’s national broadcast lineup for the season. ### Where can fans find every team’s full slate and TV window? NFL.com and ESPN both posted team-by-team schedules with dates, kickoff times and network assignments after the Thursday night release. (operations.nfl.com) The league’s schedule announcement links to full season views by week and by division, while individual team pages list each club’s opponents and start times. (nfl.com) The Seahawks’ page shows the opener against New England on Sept. 9, and the Patriots’ page lists the same game as the first entry on the club’s 2026 regular-season slate. Week 18 times remain subject to later announcement under the league’s flexible scheduling procedures, NFL.com says. ### What happens next before the games begin? Sept. 9 is the first date on the regular-season calendar, with New England at Seattle opening the league year in prime time. (media.nfl.com) Before then, the NFL has also posted the 2026 preseason schedule and team schedule pages, which will be the reference points for any later time changes or flex decisions. (nfl.com)