NFL 2026 Season: Start Date, Key Dates and Week 1 Schedule

The 2026 NFL season will officially begin on Wednesday, September 9, with the Kickoff Game opening a new campaign that will run through the regular season before concluding with Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.

The opening game will feature the New England Patriots against the defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks, who won Super Bowl LX last season. The Seahawks will begin their title defence at home in a game scheduled to be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

When does the 2026 NFL season start?

The 2026 NFL season will officially begin on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with the traditional Kickoff Game.

The rest of the opening week will continue with an international fixture on Thursday before a full slate of Sunday games and a Monday Night Football matchup.

Key dates for the 2026 NFL season

• NFL Kickoff Game: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
• End of the regular season: Sunday, January 10, 2027
• Super Bowl LXI: Sunday, February 14, 2027
• Super Bowl venue: SoFi Stadium in California

Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots opens the season

The Seattle Seahawks will open the 2026 season as the defending champions when they face the New England Patriots.

Seattle won Super Bowl LX after defeating the Patriots 29-13 on February 8, 2026. Kenneth Walker III was named MVP after the Seahawks secured the championship with a strong overall performance.

The opening game will begin at 8:20 p.m. and will be shown live on NBC and Peacock.

International game in Melbourne

The opening week will also include an international matchup on Thursday, September 10, when the San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

The game is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on Netflix.

NFL Week 1 Sunday schedule

• Chicago Bears vs Carolina Panthers — 1:00 p.m. — FOX
• Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts — 1:00 p.m. — CBS
• Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings — 4:25 p.m. — CBS
• Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles — 4:25 p.m. — FOX
• Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants — 8:20 p.m. — NBC/Peacock

Monday Night Football

The first week of the 2026 NFL season will conclude on Monday, September 14, when the Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC.

Fans will also be able to follow games and analysis through the official NFL+ Premium platform, while DAZN is listed among the international digital broadcasting partners.

With the defending champions opening against the team they defeated in the previous Super Bowl, an international game in Australia and several high-profile matchups, the 2026 NFL season is set to begin with a busy and highly anticipated first week.