The NFL’s Regular Season Kicks Off Tonight With Super Bowl Rematch Between The New England Patriots And The Seattle Seahawks

The NFL season kicks off tonight, bringing football fans a rematch from February’s title game right out of the gate. In a rare scheduling twist, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET, marking only the third time in NFL history that a Super Bowl rematch takes place in Week 1.

Tonight’s highly anticipated opener is a direct rematch of Super Bowl LX, where Seattle captured the Lombardi Trophy in a dominant 29-13 victory over the Patriots. The Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, will raise their championship banner in front of a raucous home crowd before attempting to prove their title run was no fluke. Across the field, a revamped New England squad under head coach Mike Vrabel and young quarterback Drake Maye will look to spoil the celebration and exact regular season revenge.

The game is making history before a single whistle has blown, owing to a unique calendar maneuver by the league. For only the second time since 2002, the NFL regular season is starting on a Wednesday night. This midweek kickoff was strategically scheduled to clear the runway for the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia, which features the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers playing in Melbourne Thursday night.

In addition to the star-studded matchup, fans tuning in tonight will witness the rollout of the NFL’s new officiating frameworks and roster rules. Under a freshly minted collective bargaining agreement, teams will utilize newly structured practice squads, and replay officials will have expanded authority to streamline game flow.

Kickoff coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. ET with the NFL Kickoff Special on NBC and Peacock, with the official game broadcast starting at 8:20 p.m. ET.