When does the 2026 NFL season start? Who is Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs playing in week 1

A new NFL season will begin in September with the league stretching its opening week across Wednesday to Monday, setting a different rhythm for fans. The Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, will host the New England Patriots on Sept. 9 in the NFL Kickoff Game. One day later, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers meet in Melbourne, Australia, for the league’s first regular-season game in the country. The Kansas City Chiefs open against the Denver Broncos as the full schedule brings fresh pressure and travel demands.Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season stretches from Wednesday, Sept. 9 to Monday, Sept. 14, breaking from the usual Sunday-only start. The Seahawks-Patiots matchup in Seattle opens the league’s 18-week grind, a rare Wednesday kickoff last seen in 2012 when scheduling avoided the Democratic National Convention. The following day shifts attention to Melbourne, where the Rams and 49ers meet in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia, also marking a broadcast partnership with Netflix. The rest of the slate returns to Sunday, with Monday Night Football closing the week. The season features a record nine international games across multiple continents.Kansas City enters 2026 after a 6-11 season that forced a reset across parts of the roster. The opening test comes against the Denver Broncos, a divisional game that sets an early tone. Much of the attention, however, stays on Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL on Dec. 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He is working through a roughly nine-month recovery window, and while he was seen throwing again in March, the team has avoided giving a firm return date. The Chiefs carry the fifth-hardest schedule in the league, shaped by AFC West battles and a demanding NFC West crossover. Road trips to the Bills, Seahawks, Bengals and Rams add weight, while Arrowhead will host the Patriots and 49ers. It is a difficult path, but the margin for error still hinges on Mahomes’ health and timing.The schedule release highlights how the league is leaning into global reach while keeping traditional rivalries intact. Early travel demands and short turnarounds will test depth across rosters, especially for teams balancing injuries and new coaching setups. For contenders like Kansas City, every stretch of the season carries added weight given last year’s downturn. For Seattle and San Francisco, the early international spotlight adds pressure but also opportunity. The opening week, spread across multiple days and continents, sets the tone for a season built on movement and adjustment rather than routine early.