The Seahawks Are Playing a Wednesday Night Game to Open the Season and Nobody Expected This
Well, here's something you don't see every day: the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks are kicking off the 2026 NFL season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at home on NBC with a 5:20 p.m. kickoff. Yeah, you read that right. A Wednesday. Not Thursday, not Sunday. Wednesday.
The league made the announcement this week, and honestly, the scheduling gymnastics behind this are wild. Normally the defending champ hosts a Thursday night opener, but the NFL had to get creative because the Rams and 49ers are playing in Melbourne, Australia on Friday morning, Sept. 11 (airing Thursday night here). That forced Seattle's game a day earlier to keep the broadcasting schedule from imploding.
Why Wednesday? Thank the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961
Here's the kicker: the game can't move to Friday because of a 1961 law that restricts NFL broadcasts on Fridays and Saturdays when high school or college games are happening within 75 miles. Since Labor Day falls on Sept. 7 this year, that restriction actually applies in 2026 for the first time in a couple years. Wild, right?
This will only be the fifth Wednesday night game in NFL history since 1950, and all five have happened since 2012. The most recent ones were Christmas Day games in 2024 and a COVID-rescheduled game in 2020. The Seahawks also remember the 2012 Cowboys-Giants opener that got moved to Wednesday because of the Democratic National Convention.
The opponent hasn't been announced yet, but it'll be one of Seattle's home opponents this season. Speculation is buzzing about New England (a Super Bowl rematch), Dallas (big market draw), or Chicago (expected playoff contender under first-year coach Ben Johnson). The 49ers and Rams are obviously out since they're playing the next day in Australia.
Seattle's Making History on Multiple Fronts
Playing on Wednesday means the Seahawks will become just the ninth NFL team ever to play a game on every single day of the week. Seattle last hosted the season opener in 2014 as defending champs, crushing Green Bay 36-16.
And yeah, it's going to be chaotic. The Mariners have a 6:40 p.m. game against Texas that same night, and the Sounders are scheduled at Lumen Field against Kansas City. Both are expected to get moved to avoid conflicts, but you know it's going to be an all-hands-on-deck situation across the Emerald City.
Oh, and the Seahawks also officially re-signed linebacker and special teams ace Chazz Surratt to a one-year deal on Wednesday. Surratt signed last August after the 49ers cut him and played in 11 games with 11 special teams tackles before an ankle injury knocked him out late in the season. He's back for 2026.
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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.