The 2025 NFL Season has come to an end, as the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX. As the focus moves from their run in 2025 to the upcoming season in 2026, questions about the repeat for the Seahawks will begin. The quest for a second straight Super Bowl will kick off on Sep. 10, but who will be the first opponent for Seattle?
Since 2004, the opening game of the season has traditionally featured the defending Super Bowl Champion. That year, it was the New England Patriots, who won Super Bowl XXXVIII the prior year, hosting the Indianapolis Colts. This big match-up was the start of another tradition as well. The game typically features a high-profile match-up. The 2004 contest was a rematch of the 2003 AFC Championship Game as well as a continuation of the Peyton Manning against Tom Brady rivalry.
Since that first home contest for the defending champion, nearly every year since has seen that set up. In 2013, the Baltimore Ravens were coming off a Super Bowl XLVII victory over the San Francisco 49ers, but played the Denver Broncos on the road due to a scheduling conflict. In 2019, the defending champion Patriots did not play in the opening game; instead, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. That year, the NFL celebrated its 100th anniversary with the Packers against the Bears.
With the Seahawks likely to play host on the first Thursday of the NFL season, these are the best matchups for the game.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have played their fair share of opening night games in recent years. The Chiefs have played in four opening games since 2004, all from 2017 on. They were the host team three times, after winning three Super Bowls and appearing in five since Super Bowl LIV for the 2019 season. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season this year, and had their worst record of the Andy Reid era. Still, the Chiefs expect to be back in contention in 2026.
Considering that four of the top five most-watched games in the NFL for the 2025 season involved the Chiefs, putting them in the spotlight on the road against the reigning champions would be a smart move. The only concern with scheduling this game as the opening game, which takes it from a higher spot in the rankings, is the status of Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14. With no guarantee he would be ready for Week 1, the NFL could look elsewhere.
3. New England Patriots
The NFL could also put up a Super Bowl rematch to open the season. While the Super Bowl was not the most exciting match-up, with the Seahawks controlling much of the game, a rematch always gets eyeballs on the screen. This has not been the choice of the NFL in recent years, though. They could have used a rematch to open the 2023 season with the Chiefs hosting the Philadelphia Eagles, but they chose the Detroit Lions for the opening game instead. The next season, the Chiefs visited the 49ers, so the opening game was a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship between the Ravens and Chiefs. The champion was once again the road team in 2025, with the Eagles on the road against the Chiefs, leading the NFL to choose a game against the Dallas Cowboys for the Eagles.
In fact, the defending champion has seen a Super Bowl rematch to open the season just once since 2004. That was the Denver Broncos hosting the Carolina Panthers to open 2016. The Patriots are still a popular team, and saw a massive increase in local market ratings. The biggest knock on this game was that the Super Bowl was not a classic, and a rematch could be written off quickly.
2. San Francisco 49ers
A division rival is always a safe bet for an opening game, especially with one having such a draw like the 49ers. The Seahawks and Niners opened their 2025 season against each other, with San Francisco coming away with the win, 17-13. They would then face each other again in Week 18, with huge implications. The winner of the game secured the NFC West title, the first-round bye, and home-field advantage. Seattle once again climbed on the back of their defense, winning the game 13-3.
They would face off a third time as well, but the game was not nearly as good as the first two matchups. It was a Divisional Round playoff game for the Niners and Seahawks, with Seattle dominating. Seattle returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and led 24-6 at the end of the first half. They would then shutout the 49ers in the second half, winning 41-6. Regardless, divisional matchups are not overly common to kick off the NFL season.
Since 2004, the first divisional rivals to meet have been the Washington Redskins visiting the defending champion Giants. The NFC East provided division rivals again in 2012, with the Cowboys visiting the Giants. The Packers and Bears faced off in 2019, but that was a celebration of 100 years and did not feature the defending champion. Then, last year, it was the NFC East one more time, as the Cowboys visited the Eagles.
1. Los Angeles Rams
The best matchup would be the Seahawks hosting the Los Angeles Rams. The two teams faced each other three times in the 2025 campaign. The first did not occur until Week 11. The Rams led almost the entire game, but the Seahawks nearly made the comeback, scoring a touchdown with 2:23 left in the game to make it a two-point game. Seattle got the ball back, but a 61-yard attempt from Jason Myers was no good as the Rams held on to win 21-19.
The second game came in Week 16. The Seahawks erased a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game. This would lead to vertime, where Puka Nacua scored to give the Rams back the lead, but Seattle had a chance to answer. Jaxon Smith-Njigba did just that. Mike MacDonald decided to go for two, and it was converted, winning the game 38-37.
After the season split, the two met in the NFC Championship. For a third straight game, it would be tight. The Seahawks held a four-point lead at the half, but built it to 11 in the third quarter. Still, a 34-yard touchdown with 2:46 left in the third from Nacua made it a four-point game again. On their next drive, the Rams turned the ball over on downs on the Seattle six-yard line. The Seahawks drained the clock, giving the Rams just 25 seconds to attempt to win the game. The attempt fell short, and the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl.
Playoff rematches, not from the Super Bowl, have happened six times. This matchup would not only give viewers a divisional rivalry but also feature the reigning NFL MVP, Matthew Stafford, and be a rematch of a quality NFC Championship Game. All of that makes it the logical choice to kick off the 2026 NFL Season.
