The Seahawks are Super Bowl LX champions—and a very deserving and well-liked champion led by guys like Mike Macdonald, Sam Darnold, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But things move forward, and we’re on to 2026. This week’s YouTube video ranks the potential opponents for the defending champs in the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game at Seattle.
NFC West?
The expectation is that the 49ers and Rams will play their Australia game in Week 1, so those two postseason rematches are likely out. And it’d be a major shock if the schedule-makers decide to make the Cardinals go up against the Seahawks on banner night for Mike LeFleur’s first game.
NFC East teams
The Cowboys and Giants are two high-profile options. However, Dallas just opened last season at Philadelphia—so don’t count on them being the choice again. The Giants would be an option if the schedule-makers want to look ahead now that Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh is leading the way—but you can argue New York hasn’t earned the platform of a season opener with their poor performance in recent years.
Chargers or Chiefs?
We know how much Justin Herbert has struggled in the postseason. A matchup with the Seahawks would give him an opportunity on a huge stage to take on an elite defense. It’d be a fantastic immediate first test, with Los Angeles getting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back in the lineup as reinforcements.
As for the Chiefs, they would no doubt be an epic choice—a squad like the Seahawks looking to begin their title defense versus a Kansas City organization trying to get back on track. Though he’s determined and expected to be ready for Week 1, Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL probably makes it less likely the Chiefs are in the opener, though.
The Super Bowl rematch
Seattle was a different class than a New England group that had an uncommonly “easy” (for lack of a better word) path to the Big Game. That said, the Pats are a proud team under Mike Vrabel, and they’ll look to put together a strong 2026 offseason to have more of a fighting chance when facing off with the “Dark Side” again this year.
The Bears at No. 1
The top potential matchup for the 2026 NFL season opener at Seattle is the Bears. It’s the NFC Championship Game we were super close to seeing after Chicago barely lost to the Rams in overtime in the Divisional Round, and it’d feature one of the game’s rising superstars in quarterback Caleb Williams attempting to figure out the Seahawks defense.
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