NFL Moves Seahawks' 2026 Season Opener to Wednesday

The change is due to the league's first-ever regular season game in Australia.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:18pm

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According to reports, the NFL has moved the Seattle Seahawks' 2026 season opener to Wednesday, September 9th at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. This is due to the league's first-ever regular season game being played on Thursday in Melbourne, Australia between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

Why it matters

The NFL typically holds its season-opening game on a Thursday, with the defending Super Bowl champion hosting. However, the Australia game has forced the league to adjust the schedule, resulting in the Seahawks playing on an unusual Wednesday night.

The details

The change was made because the NFL "can't do a Friday game this year on opening week", so the Seahawks' opener was moved to Wednesday. This will create a scheduling conflict with the Seattle Sounders FC, who have a home game scheduled that same night at 7:30 p.m.

  • The 2026 NFL schedule will officially be released in May.
  • The Seahawks' 2026 season opener is set for Wednesday, September 9th at 8:20 p.m. ET.
  • The Rams-49ers game in Melbourne, Australia will be played on Thursday.

The players

Seattle Seahawks

An NFL team based in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle Sounders FC

A Major League Soccer team that shares Lumen Field with the Seahawks.

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What’s next

The full 2026 NFL schedule will be officially released in May.

The takeaway

The NFL's first-ever regular season game in Australia has forced the league to make an unusual scheduling change, moving the Seattle Seahawks' 2026 season opener to Wednesday night instead of the traditional Thursday night slot.