Seattle Seahawks May Not Kick Off The 2026 NFL Season Despite Super Bowl Victory
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The defending Super Bowl champions traditionally kick off the new NFL season at home, but that may not be the case for the Seattle Seahawks in 2026.
Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks cruised past the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl 60. Running back Kenneth Walker III was named MVP after rushing for 135 yards in the victory.
The Seahawks have a long list of blockbuster opponents for their 2026 home games, including the Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.
But according to a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, it could actually be two of Seattle’s most bitter rivals that kick off the 2026 NFL season.
As previously noted, the Rams and 49ers will square of in Melbourne, Australia, for their Week 1 game. Florio suggested that the drastic time difference could prompt the NFL to have the Rams-49ers game on Labor Day weekend:
“Here’s where it gets interesting. As shared by Michael David Smith, the Melbourne representative at the NFL’s Super Bowl media center said the game will be played on a Sunday afternoon, U.S. time. With a 16-hour fight from L.A. and San Francisco (14.5 hours back) and a 19-hour time difference, playing the game on the Sunday of Week 1 would put both teams in a bind, when it comes to preparing for their Week 2 games.
Unless both teams will be getting a very early bye, it makes far more sense to start Week 1 on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. That would give both teams ample time to travel home and get ready for Week 2, which for them would be two weeks later.
Currently, only one college game is scheduled for the Sunday of Labor Day weekend: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. If that’s a night game, Sunday afternoon will be wide open for 49ers-Rams.”
The NFL has yet to address this situation, but it’s a fascinating point by Florio and Michael David Smith. Even if the Rams-49ers game is on Labor Day weekend, though, the Seattle Seahawks would still get the first Thursday night game of the year.
Seattle Seahawks Look To Build A Dynasty That The 2010s Squad Never Completed
After the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first Super Bowl in 2013? It felt like the start of a potential dynasty. Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas were all in their early 20s, and Marshawn Lynch looked to have plenty of good years left in him.
But we all know what happened. The Seahawks threw the ball at the one-yard line, and the Patriots made them pay. That destroyed the locker room morale, and the Seahawks would only win two more playoff games with Wilson and Legion of Boom.
This Seahawks team is also led by a star-studded defense, a quality quarterback and a dynamic ground game. Only time will tell if they can build a dynasty.
