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The National Football League announced its annual Kickoff Game will be held one day early.
The defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks will host an opponent to be determined during the official 2026 NFL regular season schedule release on Wednesday, September 9, rather than the Thursday night slot that typically begins the season, the league announced on Wednesday (March 25). Additionally, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams in the first-ever NFL game in Melbourne, Australia, the following day.
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, 29-13, during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, last month. The Seahawks defense held the Patriots scoreless through three full quarters, with New England going 6 of 15 on third down attempts.
Seattle's defense forced Patriots quarterback Drake Maye to turn the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, with safety Julian Love recording a 35-yard interception with 8:57 remaining and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu recording on a 45-yard interception touchdown return with 4:27 remaining. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold finished Super Bowl LX with with 202 yards on 19 of 38 passing, which included a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks defeated the NFC West Division rival San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams during the playoffs en route to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history, avenging their Super Bowl XLIX loss to the Patriots, which took place 11 years prior.