Seahawks' Super Bowl Banner Raising Gets a Wednesday Night Kickoff
Here's something different: the Seahawks won't open the 2026 regular season on Thursday like defending Super Bowl champs usually do. According to The Wall Street Journal, Seattle will host its season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and the game will air on NBC. Why the schedule shuffle? The Rams and 49ers are taking the first ever regular season game down under to Melbourne, Australia, and that contest is locked in for Thursday. So the defending champs move up a day.
Making it Work in the Emerald City
Wednesday night in Seattle gets a little crowded with a Sounders home game against Kansas City scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the Mariners hosting the Texas Rangers at 6:40 p.m. But the league and the teams think they can make it happen. The Mariners also have a Thursday, Sept. 10 game against Texas at 1:10 p.m., so there's some flexibility to work with. When the full schedule drops in mid-May, some dates and times might shift, but this Wednesday night opener is locked in.
Still No Opponent Announced
So who will the Seahawks face for that banner raising? Forget rematches against the Rams and 49ers, the two teams Seattle had to beat in the NFC playoffs to get here. The available options are Arizona, Dallas, the New York Giants, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago, or New England, the team the Seahawks beat 29-13 to win it all on Feb. 8. You'll find out who in mid-May when the full schedule goes public.
Offseason Moves Finalized
The Seahawks got official on some free agent signings this week. Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, defensive tackle Brandon Pili, safety Rodney Thomas III, and running back George Holani all inked deals. Igbinoghene was the 30th overall pick by Miami back in 2020 and spent the last two seasons with Washington. He told Seahawks.com he had a chance to join Seattle a year ago but didn't take it. "Had an opportunity to come here last year, didn't choose to, so now, choose the right side this time," he said. "I'm excited to see how it goes."
The Seahawks also brought back cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles, who was on the practice squad last season. Both corners will help fill depth after the team decided not to re-sign a cornerback from last year's roster.
On top of that, several Seahawks got some Performance-Based Pay checks this week as part of the NFL's more than $542 million pool for the 2025 season. Nothing like getting paid for a job well done.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.