The 2026 NFL season will kick off with a rematch of the most recent Super Bowl as its main attraction. The Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field, where Sam Darnold and Drake Maye will face each other once again as the starting quarterbacks for their respective teams.
What about the main backups behind these stars? For the Seahawks, Drew Lock will be Mike Macdonald’s first alternative at quarterback. Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel’s Patriots will have veteran Tommy DeVito as their top backup option.
Both teams have something in common heading into their season opener. Seattle and New England opted to protect their starting QB’s during the preseason, as neither Darnold nor Maye saw any playing time throughout the exhibition games.
Super Bowl LX rematch?
The Seahawks and Patriots were the protagonists of the most recent Super Bowl, which ended with a 29–13 victory for the NFC side. This Week 1 matchup could represent a chance at revenge for the team from Foxborough, although many may not see it that way, viewing it instead as a fresh start for both teams.
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks throws the ball during Super Bowl LX.
The 2026 NFL season kicks off
Nearly 69,000 fans are expected to attend the opening game of the 2026 NFL season starting on Wednesday, as both Seahawks and Patriots look to get their campaigns off to a winning start. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 PM ET, with temperatures expected to be around 73.4°F at game time.
Key absences on both teams
The injury report for this matchup features two notable absences, one for each team. For the Seahawks, starting safety Ty Okada will miss the game due to a hamstring injury, while the Patriots will be without one of their key running backs, as TreVeyon Henderson is also sidelined with an ankle injury.
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