Drake Maye, AJ Brown face Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Patriots-Seahawks open NFL season in Super Bowl rematch

The NFL 2026 season opens on Wednesday with an unusual pairing and an unfinished argument. The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field at 8:20 PM ET on NBC, seven months after Seattle won Super Bowl LX, 29-13.

The league shifted kickoff night to Wednesday to clear Thursday for the 49ers-Rams game in Australia. Before the first snap, the defending champions will raise their banner in front of the same opponent they beat in February. That setting, more than the calendar, is why this opener matters.

A title game that still frames both rosters

Super Bowl LX was not close. Seattle Seahawks' defense sacked Drake Maye six times and held New England scoreless through three quarters. The Seahawks led 29-7 before a late Patriots touchdown. Kenneth Walker III, named Super Bowl MVP, rushed for 135 yards. Maye completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Both teams now start 0-0. The tape from Levi’s Stadium has not been discarded.

Patriots add Brown and Doubs, lose Henderson

New England Patriots spent the offseason changing the look of Drake Maye’s passing game. The club acquired AJ Brown in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles and signed Romeo Doubs. Brown, who had 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last season, will make his Patriots debut.

The running game is thinner for one night. TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out with an ankle injury after missing the week’s practices. Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to handle the bulk of the work. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez will play after resolving his contract situation.

Head coach Mike Vrabel returns with coordinators Josh McDaniels and Zak Kuhr. The immediate test is whether Maye can answer the pressure looks Mike Macdonald used in the Super Bowl.

Seahawks defend the title without their Super Bowl MVP

Seattle Seahawks' continuity is real at quarterback and receiver. Sam Darnold is back. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year, is under a record contract. The supporting cast is not the same. Walker signed with Kansas City. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is gone. Safety Ty Okada is out. Zach Charbonnet remains out while recovering from a torn ACL and will miss at least the first four games.

Rashid Shaheed, signed to a three-year, $51 million extension after a modest receiving line following last season’s midyear trade, is expected to take a larger role as a vertical threat.

The Rams have dominated offseason conversation in the NFC West. Smith-Njigba has declined to treat that as Seattle’s problem.

Jadarian Price inherits the early running-back load

With Walker gone and Charbonnet sidelined, first-round running back Jadarian Price is in position for a heavy September workload. Seattle selected the Notre Dame back with the 32nd overall pick. He was held out of the preseason while managing lower-body soreness. Wednesday will be his first NFL appearance, with George Holani expected to complement him.

A champion built on a physical run game now opens its title defense with a rookie as the featured back. Maye, Brown, Darnold, Smith-Njigba and Price will determine whether this rematch resembles February, or whether a new season actually begins.