Seahawks’ list of potential Week 1 opponents continues to narrow

At some point this week, the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will find out who they’re hosting for the NFL’s 2026 season-opening game on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Lumen Field.

But for now, the list of potential opponents continues to dwindle.

Where Seattle Seahawks’ strength of schedule ranks for 2026

The NFL announced Monday morning that the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will square off on NBC’s Sunday Night Football for Week 1. Both teams had been potential Week 1 opponents for the Seahawks, as both are among the nine teams Seattle will face at home this fall.

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are also off the table as potential Week 1 foes for the Seahawks, as the NFL announced back in March that the Rams and 49ers will open the season on Thursday, Sept. 10, in Melbourne, Australia, for the league’s first-ever game Down Under.

That means five teams are still options to face the Seahawks in Week 1: the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals.

Of those five, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said back in March that they’re likely not an option to face the Seahawks in Week 1, given the uncertainty over superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ timetable in his recovery from a torn ACL and LCL. And given that the Cardinals are coming off a 3-14 campaign, it seems highly unlikely they’d be a consideration either.

So, that leaves the Bears, Patriots and Chargers as the most realistic options still on the table. All three teams would offer compelling storylines for a season-opening matchup against the Seahawks.

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