7 things that stand out about Seahawks’ 2026 schedule

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks’ 2026 schedule was unveiled in its entirety on Thursday. And as always, there are plenty of details to unravel.

The full 2026 Seattle Seahawks schedule has been revealed

Seattle’s opponents have been set in stone since January, but now we can see how all the finer details fit together – the sequencing of matchups, which games were selected for primetime, the short turnarounds, the bye week positioning and more.

What stands out most? Here are seven observations.

An immediate Super Bowl rematch

It’ll be a Super Bowl rematch right out of the gates, with the Seahawks kicking off the 2026 NFL season against the New England Patriots on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Lumen Field. The rematch will come almost exactly seven months after the Seahawks and their “Dark Side” defense dismantled the Patriots for a 29-13 triumph in Super Bowl 60 this past February.

It will mark just the third time in NFL history that the two Super Bowl teams from the previous season have squared off in a Week 1 rematch the following season.

In 2016, the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl and then defeated them again in the season opener that fall. And in 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl before the Vikings got revenge on the Chiefs in their Week 1 rematch.

Rams showdowns highlight tough closing stretch

The Seahawks and Rams were widely considered to be the NFL’s two best teams this past season. And they played in three epic games that were decided by a combined seven points – a 21-19 Rams win in Week 11, a 38-37 overtime comeback win by Seattle in Week 16 and a 31-27 victory by the Seahawks in the NFC title game.

However, fans will have to wait a long time for the two NFC West juggernauts to meet again, as their two matchups this season come in the final three weeks of the season. The Seahawks will host the Rams on Christmas night in Week 16, while the Rams will host the rematch in Week 18.

Seattle also has a tough road trip to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. That means three of the Seahawks’ final four games are against two of their biggest challengers in the NFC. A whole lot could be at stake during that closing stretch.

The Week 4-8 gauntlet

The Seahawks will play nine games against teams that finished the 2025 regular season with 11-plus wins.

Four of those games come during a five-game gauntlet from Weeks 4-8 that includes the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), San Francisco 49ers (12-5), Denver Broncos (14-3), Kansas City Chiefs (6-11) and Chicago Bears (11-6). And while the Chiefs had a down 2025 campaign, they could certainly be a challenging matchup too – especially if superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back from his torn ACL and LCL.

Related: Where Seahawks’ strength of schedule ranks for 2026

The good news? Four of those five games are at home in the friendly confines of Lumen Field. However, the lone road game during that stretch – a Thursday night showdown in Denver – will come on just three days rest.

Get ready for primetime

Get ready for the bright lights, as the Seahawks have a franchise-record six primetime games this fall. Seattle has had five primetime games in a season five times – in 2025, 2020, 2019, 2016 and 2006.

The Seahawks open in primetime against the Patriots in Week 1. They have three straight primetime games from Weeks 6-8 – a Thursday night clash at the Broncos, a Sunday night matchup against the Chiefs and a Monday night showdown against the Bears. They have another Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13. And they have the Christmas night showdown against the Rams in Week 16.

Plus, given the potential stakes of the Week 18 Seahawks-Rams matchup, it’s possible that could be flexed into primetime as well.

Football on (almost) every day of the week

In a scheduling oddity, the Seahawks will play on every day of the week except Tuesday.

They open on a Wednesday night against the Patriots. They play on a Thursday night against the Broncos. Their Christmas showdown against the Rams is on a Friday night. They play on a Saturday afternoon against the Eagles. They have a pair Monday night games against the Bears and Cowboys. And of course, the rest of their 11 games are on Sundays.

As a result, the Seahawks have five shorter-than-usual turnarounds between games – four six-day gaps, plus a four-day gap between their Sunday afternoon game against the 49ers in Week 5 and their Thursday night game at the Broncos in Week 6.

But the Seahawks also have five longer-than-usual stretches between games – an 11-day gap, a 10-day gap, a nine-day gap and two eight-day gaps.

Just two 10 a.m. kickoffs

The Seahawks have just two 10 a.m. Pacific kickoffs: at the Washington Commanders in Week 3 and at the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. It marks just the eighth time in franchise history they’ve had two or fewer 10 a.m. games. They had only one in 1982 and two in 1979, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2016 and 2021.

A well-timed bye

The Seahawks’ bye week lands just past the midway point of the season in Week 11. That’s generally a pretty good time for a bye, as it’s when injuries can begin to accumulate. It also doesn’t hurt that it comes ahead of Seattle’s Week 12 road game at the 49ers, which gives Mike Macdonald & Co. an extra week to prepare for one of their biggest rivals.

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