Seahawks land seven primetime or standalone games in 2026 schedule

The NFL released the Seattle Seahawks’ 2026 schedule on May 14, and the defending Super Bowl champions drew seven primetime or standalone games across the 18-week regular season. Seattle opens the league year at home against the New England Patriots on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in a Super Bowl LX rematch, according to the NFL’s schedule announcement. The Seahawks also host the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day and play five nationally featured games at Lumen Field, Seahawks.com said. NFL.com also listed Seattle among the five teams facing the league’s toughest schedules after the release. ### Which seven Seahawks games are set apart from the regular Sunday slate? NFL.com’s team schedule shows Seattle in the season opener against New England on Sept. 9, then in a Thursday night game against Denver on Oct. 15, a Sunday night game against Kansas City on Oct. 25, a Monday night game at Chicago on Nov. 2, another Monday night game at Dallas on Dec. 7, a Saturday game against Philadelphia on Dec. 19, and the Christmas Day game against the Rams on Dec. 25. (media.nfl.com) Those seven games are either primetime or standalone national windows. Seahawks.com said the club has a franchise-record six primetime games, including five at Lumen Field, and called the Dec. 25 contest the first Christmas game in franchise history. The difference between six primetime games and seven featured windows is the Dec. 19 Saturday game against the Eagles, which sits outside the usual Sunday slate but is not counted by the team as a primetime kickoff. (nfl.com) ### Why does the Christmas game stand out on this schedule? The NFL said Christmas Day will again carry a tripleheader in 2026, with Green Bay at Chicago, Buffalo at Denver and the Rams at Seahawks. NFL.com’s holiday schedule item listed Rams-Seahawks as the late game of that lineup. Dec. 25 also gives Seattle a second meeting with Los Angeles in a three-week span. (seahawks.com) NFL.com’s team schedule lists the Rams visiting Seattle in Week 16 on Christmas Day, while the Seahawks close the regular season in Week 18 at Los Angeles on a date and time still to be determined. ### How heavy is the overall schedule? NFL.com ranked Seattle among its five teams with the toughest 2026 schedules after the release. (nfl.com) Dan Parr’s analysis for NFL.com placed the Seahawks in that group based on opponent strength and the structure of the slate. Seahawks.com said Seattle will play 10 games against teams that reached the postseason in 2025, starting with the Patriots in Week 1. (nfl.com) NFL Football Operations said the 2026 season begins in Seattle on Sept. 9 and ends with division games in Week 18 on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. ### Which stretches look most demanding on paper? October and early November bring three nationally featured games in four weeks. (nfl.com) NFL.com’s schedule lists Denver on Oct. 15, Kansas City on Oct. 25 and Chicago on Nov. 2, with only a home game against Arizona on Nov. 8 before the Week 11 bye. December also stacks up quickly. NFL.com lists Seattle at Dallas on Dec. 7, home against Philadelphia on Dec. 19, home against the Rams on Dec. 25 and at Carolina on Jan. 3 before the regular-season finale at Los Angeles. (seahawks.com) ### When do the Seahawks open and when do they get a break? Sept. 9 is the opener, and it comes in the league’s annual kickoff window. (nfl.com) The NFL said Seattle, as defending champion, will host New England at Lumen Field at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. Week 11 is Seattle’s bye, according to both NFL.com and Seahawks.com. The team returns from that break on Nov. 29 at San Francisco, then plays five games in December before the Week 18 finale against the Rams. (nfl.com) Jan. 10 is the last day of the 2026 regular season, the NFL said, with Seattle’s Week 18 game at Los Angeles still listed as TBD on NFL.com. Single-game listings for the full Seahawks schedule are available on NFL.com and the team site. (media.nfl.com) (nfl.com)