SAIPAN – The National Football League released its 2026 regular season schedule Thursday, with the new campaign opening Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of last season’s title game.
The Wednesday opener marks just the second time in 75 years the NFL has begun a season on a Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, which is 10:20 a.m. Thursday morning Chamorro Standard Time. The Seahawks defeated the Patriots 29-13 in February to win the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
One night later, the league plays its first regular-season game in Australia. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will meet in Melbourne on Thursday, Sept. 10, with kickoff at 8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix. That translates to 10:35 a.m. Friday in the Marianas.
The traditional Sunday slate begins Sept. 13 with eight 1 p.m. ET games, four 4:25 p.m. ET games and the Sunday Night Football opener pitting the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Sunday Night Football kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, which is 10:20 a.m. Monday in the Marianas.
Most Sunday afternoon games will land in the early morning hours in the Marianas due to the 14-hour time difference. The 1 p.m. ET window translates to 3 a.m. Monday CHST, with the late afternoon 4:25 p.m. ET window landing at 6:25 a.m. Monday CHST.
The Monday Night Football opener features a marquee AFC West matchup between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14, set for 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC, or 10:15 a.m. Tuesday CHST.
The Mahomes question looms over the Chiefs opener. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 of last season, and his availability for the Week 1 game is the prevailing storyline heading into the regular season. The Broncos snapped the Chiefs’ nine-season run as AFC West champions last season and arrive looking to repeat with quarterback Bo Nix back from an ankle injury suffered in the divisional round.
The full 272-game regular season runs through Saturday, Jan. 10, 2027. Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February.
Week 1 broadcasts will be spread across NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, ABC, Netflix and streaming partners. The Patriots-Seahawks opener will also be available on Peacock and NFL+, and the Cowboys-Giants Sunday Night Football game will stream on Peacock and NFL+ alongside the NBC broadcast.
