The 2026 NFL schedule will be released this week on May 14th. The Seattle Seahawks, as defending Super Bowl champions already know that they will be kicking off the season on Wednesday, September 9th on NBC. Although there are rumors that the Seahawks opening night opponent will be the Chicago Bears, there is still nothing concrete.
The Cardinals are likely out since they are not considered to be at the same competitive level as the Seahawks this season. Would the NFL really want another Super Bowl matchup immediately after Seattle dominated the Patriots all 60 minutes back in February? Probably not. This likely points to why there is a lot of heat around the Bears being the choice for the opening opponent. However, don’t count the Chargers out as the choice, either. Justin Herbert (like Caleb Williams) is an exciting quarterback, and now with a new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel. The Chargers are in a large market, Los Angeles. And there is of course the Mike Macdonald-Jim Harbaugh connection.
All of this guess work will be over soon. Who do you think the Seahawks will play on opening night?