Super Bowl champion Seahawks to open 2026 NFL season on Wednesday night

The 2026 NFL play is opening connected a Wednesday night, and the reigning Super Bowl champions volition beryllium involved. 

The Seattle Seahawks, who took down the New England Patriots successful Super Bowl LX to ascent backmost atop the shot world, volition play big to a squad to beryllium announced aboriginal to footwear disconnected the 2026 play connected Sept. 9 – a uncommon Wednesday game. 

While the NFL has had to play connected a Wednesday owed to scheduling conflicts successful the past, oregon connected holidays, this occurrence has to bash with the league’s latest planetary debut of its product. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy aft winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots astatine Levi's Stadium connected Feb. 8, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers volition beryllium playing successful Melbourne, Australia, with the crippled kicking disconnected astatine 10:35 a.m. section clip connected Friday. Back home, it volition beryllium 8:35 p.m. ET connected Sept. 10, which is simply a Thursday nighttime compared to Friday greeting successful Australia. 

"We are thrilled to footwear disconnected our play successful Melbourne, enhancing an already historical infinitesimal for some the NFL and the Rams," Rams Head of International, Stephanie Cheng, said successful a statement. 

JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, SEAHAWKS AGREE TO HISTORIC CONTRACT EXTENSION: REPORTS

"Every clip members of our enactment visit, including earlier this month, we spot archetypal manus the increasing excitement from folks crossed Melbourne successful anticipation of this game. Not lone volition it beryllium peculiar playing the 49ers connected a Friday greeting successful Australia, it besides volition beryllium large for our fans backmost astatine location to beryllium capable to ticker this matchup successful primetime connected Thursday night."

For the Seahawks location opener, this volition people the archetypal clip since 2012 the NFL opened its play connected a Wednesday night. It was the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys astatine MetLife Stadium, wherever they received their Super Bowl rings from the play before. 

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a drawback against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) during the archetypal fractional astatine SoFi Stadium.  (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Unlike this year’s scheduling, wherever different NFL crippled conflicted with the league’s plans, Barack Obama’s Democratic National Convention code was aboriginal that week successful 2012. The league understandably didn’t privation its commencement to the play overshadowed.  

As the league continues to expand, particularly international, with a grounds 9 games acceptable for the 2026 season, determination could beryllium shot played connected much Wednesdays successful the future. 

The NFL is reportedly considering adding a Thanksgiving Eve game, which would beryllium the Wednesday earlier their accustomed three-game agelong connected Thanksgiving night, arsenic it continues to research caller broadcast windows. ESPN reported the determination could travel arsenic aboriginal arsenic the 2026 season. 

A "Black Friday" crippled has already been played the past 3 seasons, making a Wednesday contention connected Thanksgiving Eve not a chaotic thought. 

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates aft the NFL Super Bowl LX shot crippled against the New England Patriots, astatine Levi's Stadium connected Feb. 8, 2026, successful Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Every offseason we look for caller opportunities to champion service our fans successful the schedule-making process," the league said Wednesday successful a statement. "As Commissioner Goodell has said, Thanksgiving and NFL shot person go synonymous and fixed the continued maturation of instrumentality involvement astir our games connected Thanksgiving and Black Friday, looking for further opportunities tied to this peculiar vacation is breathtaking for america to explore."

The afloat NFL docket volition beryllium released connected May 13 for each squad successful the league. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.