The regular season officially begins Wednesday, September 9, with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots. The Rams-49ers matchup in Melbourne follows Thursday, September 10.
The unusual Wednesday kickoff is part of the NFL’s expanded opening-week schedule. Rather than waiting for the traditional Thursday night opener, the league moved the Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and Patriots.
For American fans, the change is straightforward; for the teams heading to Melbourne, however, the timing is far more significant, with the 49ers and Rams preparing for a historic international game across a 17-hour time difference.
Is this the first time the NFL season has started on a Wednesday?
No, the 2026 NFL season is only the second time the league has opened its regular season on a Wednesday. The previous instance came on September 5, 2012, when the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. Dallas won that game 24-17.
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks during a preseason game (Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The 2012 opener was moved from its usual Thursday slot for a very specific reason: the NFL wanted to avoid a scheduling conflict with then-President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. The Giants-Cowboys matchup therefore became the first Wednesday NFL season opener.
Fourteen years later, the league is taking the same unusual approach, but for a completely different reason. The 2026 NFL Kickoff Game will be played on September 9, where the Seahawks will host the Patriots. Seattle is opening the season as the reigning Super Bowl champion.
The Wednesday opener is also part of a much different Week 1 structure. After Seahawks-Patriots, the NFL will stage the first regular-season game in Australia when the 49ers face the Rams. The rest of the league then returns to the traditional Sunday schedule before the Broncos and Chiefs close Week 1 on Monday night.
How does the Rams vs. 49ers game affect the 2026 NFL schedule?
The Rams vs. 49ers game is the reason Week 1 has an unusual Wednesday-through-Monday structure, with the NFC West rivals playing Thursday in Melbourne as part of the NFL’s international expansion.
The game represents a major milestone for the league: it will be the first NFL regular-season game ever played in Australia. San Francisco and Los Angeles were selected for the matchup, with the Rams designated as the home team for the Melbourne contest. The teams will meet again later in the season, with the rematch scheduled for Week 14 at Levi’s Stadium.
The international trip has also shaped the Rams’ schedule immediately afterward. Los Angeles will not play again until Monday, September 21, when it hosts the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium. That gives the Rams an 11-day gap between their Australia game and their Week 2 matchup, providing additional time to recover from one of the longest trips on their schedule.
