The 2026 NFL regular season opens on an unusual note: a Wednesday night Super Bowl rematch in Seattle, followed a day later by the league’s first regular-season game in Australia.
Defending champion Seattle Seahawks host New England Patriots in a replay of Super Bowl LX. A packed Sunday slate and a Monday night AFC West clash in Kansas City complete a four-day Week 1 that resets every standings race from 0-0.
Complete NFL Week 1 schedule and times
Wednesday kickoff (September 9)
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks – 8:20 PM ET / 5:50 AM IST (Thursday) – NBC, Peacock
Thursday international game (September 10)
San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams – 8:35 PM ET / 6:05 AM IST (Friday) – Netflix
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia (local kickoff Friday, September 11, 10:35 AM AEST)
Sunday early afternoon window (September 13)
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – FOX
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – FOX
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – FOX
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – FOX
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – CBS
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – CBS
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – CBS
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans – 1:00 PM ET / 10:30 PM IST – CBS
Sunday late afternoon window
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers – 4:25 PM ET / 1:55 AM IST (Monday) – CBS
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders – 4:25 PM ET / 1:55 AM IST (Monday) – FOX
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – 4:25 PM ET / 1:55 AM IST (Monday) – CBS
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles – 4:25 PM ET / 1:55 AM IST (Monday) – FOX
Sunday Night Football
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – 8:20 PM ET / 5:50 AM IST (Monday) – NBC
Monday Night Football (September 14)
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – 8:15 PM ET / 5:45 AM IST (Tuesday) – ESPN, ABC
Bye week
None.
Team news and Week 1 storylines
Super Bowl rematch
Seattle Seahawks raise their Super Bowl LX banner at Lumen Field, then immediately face the same New England Patriots team they beat 29-13 in February.
Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel’s Patriots are chasing a different result after a scoreless first three quarters in the Super Bowl; AJ Brown makes his New England debut opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba, last season’s Offensive Player of the Year.
NFL history in Melbourne
The 49ers and Rams open the NFC West race at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first regular-season NFL game on Australian soil and one of a record nine international games this season. Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford’s Rams are the designated home side. George Kittle (Achilles) and Nick Bosa (ACL) were listed as questions for San Francisco heading into the trip.
Cowboys-Giants open Sunday night
Dallas and New York get the first Sunday Night Football slot of 2026 at MetLife Stadium, a familiar NFC East rivalry used to set the weekend’s closing tone before Monday.
Live streaming details
US viewers get the Wednesday opener on NBC and Peacock. Thursday’s Melbourne game is on Netflix (included with standard Netflix plans in the US; local over-the-air TV in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets). Sunday games are split between FOX and CBS, with RedZone covering the windows. Sunday Night Football is on NBC/Peacock. Monday Night Football airs on ESPN and ABC.
Indian fans can stream all Week 1 games live and on demand via DAZN NFL Game Pass, including the Wednesday kickoff, the Australia game, the full Sunday slate, and Monday Night Football. NFL+ remains the mobile option for primetime and local games in supported markets, with NFL+ Premium adding RedZone, replays, and condensed games.