2026 NFL Week 1 Schedule: Dates, Times, TV and Streaming

The 2026 NFL regular season opens Wednesday, September 9, when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. Week 1 then moves to Melbourne for 49ers–Rams on Netflix, delivers 13 Sunday games and closes with Broncos–Chiefs on Monday night. The NFL’s complete Week 1 schedule confirms every matchup, kickoff time and primary U.S. broadcaster listed below.

The unusual four-day rollout matters. Fantasy lineups must be ready two days earlier than a normal Thursday opener, viewers need Netflix for the Australia game, and four standalone windows give the league an immediate sequence of nationally recognizable matchups. The Seahawks–Patriots Super Bowl LX rematch is the opener; 49ers–Rams is the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia; Cowboys–Giants owns Sunday night; and Patrick Mahomes’ expected return is the central question on Monday.

Complete 2026 NFL Week 1 schedule

Source: NFL.com’s official 2026 Week 1 release. Dates and times are shown in Eastern Time. Local listings and access rules can vary by market and device.

Why Week 1 starts on Wednesday

Seattle earned the opening stage by beating New England 29–13 in Super Bowl LX. The rematch gives the champion an immediate measuring stick and forces the Patriots to show whether their offseason changes closed the gap. Football Nation’s Seahawks ownership analysis and Leonard Williams contract breakdown explain two pieces of the organization and defense surrounding that title defense.

The Wednesday kickoff also changes fantasy preparation. Managers cannot wait until Thursday to make their first lineup decision. Any Patriot or Seahawk used in the opener must be moved out of a flex spot and into the position-specific slot, preserving late-week flexibility if another player is ruled out.

The Australia game creates the biggest viewing wrinkle

San Francisco and Los Angeles meet Thursday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Rams designated as the home team. The 8:35 p.m. ET Netflix window is easy for U.S. viewers to remember, but the venue and travel create a genuinely new regular-season context. Football Nation’s NFL international expansion explainer separates the league’s confirmed overseas schedule from its longer-term ambitions.

The game also has major fantasy weight: Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Davante Adams and both quarterbacks can affect Week 1 matchups before Sunday. Los Angeles’ late roster move was about receiver depth, as detailed in Football Nation’s Tutu Atwell trade analysis. That context matters more than assuming the international setting automatically changes roles.

How to watch Week 1

NBC and Peacock carry the Wednesday opener and Sunday Night Football. Netflix has the Melbourne game. CBS and FOX split the Sunday afternoon slate, while ABC and the ESPN family carry Monday night. The league’s official NFL+ viewing guide lists live local and primetime access on mobile devices; fans should still verify local affiliates, subscription eligibility and device restrictions before kickoff.

The cleanest plan is to confirm Wednesday and Thursday access now, then check the CBS/FOX assignment in your local market for Sunday. NFL+ is useful for eligible local and primetime mobile viewing, but it should not be described as a universal replacement for every out-of-market television broadcast.

The games with the most at stake

Patriots–Seahawks tests whether February’s result was a durable gap. Bills–Texans pairs an elite offense with a proven AFC defense. Packers–Vikings begins a crowded NFC North race. Cowboys–Giants puts Dak Prescott, Jaxson Dart and two rebuilt rosters in the Sunday-night spotlight. Football Nation’s Broderick Jones trade report provides current context for Dallas’ offensive-line changes before that rivalry game.

Green Bay’s preseason added one more Week 1 fantasy question: MarShawn Lloyd’s return to the end zone showed he is back in the offense, but it does not settle his workload behind Josh Jacobs for Packers–Vikings. The official Packers clip below is current roster context, not proof of a starting-role change.

Monday’s uncertainty is more specific: Mahomes has targeted Week 1 in his recovery from the ACL and LCL injury that ended his 2025 season, but the final medical checkpoint still matters. The latest Patrick Mahomes Week 1 injury update should be read before setting Kansas City fantasy lineups. Football Nation’s 2026 stat-leader predictions offer broader ceiling context for the stars beginning their season across these four days.

What remains uncertain and the next checkpoint

The schedule and primary broadcast assignments are confirmed; player availability is not. The next factual checkpoints are the first official Week 1 practice participation reports, final game-status designations, any late roster moves and local affiliate listings. The NFL can also change operational details, so viewers traveling or relying on a specific device should verify access again during game week.

Football Nation’s verdict: treat Week 1 as a four-day event, not a Sunday-only slate. Lock in NBC/Peacock for Wednesday, Netflix for Thursday, confirm your local CBS/FOX games, and reserve Monday night for Broncos–Chiefs. For fantasy, protect flex spots and do not make health assumptions before the official reports. The schedule is set; availability is the variable that can still change the way the opening week is played.