The NFL has had some great season openers in recent years. From “Spitgate” last year between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles to the Detroit Lions upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs to open the 2023 season to the shootout between the Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off 2021, there have been some terrific games.
This season, the Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 60. Once this news leaked, the NFL world had some strong reactions and many were surprised and underwhelmed by the league’s decision.
NFL World Shocked That Seahawks-Patriots Will Kick Off 2026 Season
The NFL choosing to open the season with a Seahawks-Patriots rematch is shocking. As NFL analyst Ari Meirov noted, “The NFL hasn’t opened with a Super Bowl rematch since Broncos/Panthers in 2016.”
The NFL going with a Patriots/Seahawks Super Bowl rematch to open the season is fascinating for so many reasons.
A) The game itself wasn’t exactly a classic.
B) The NFL hasn’t opened with a Super Bowl rematch since Broncos/Panthers in 2016.
C) The Mike Vrabel storyline is… https://t.co/V1dWM3ZMLp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 13, 2026
The Patriots and Seahawks had a cross-conference rivalry after Super Bowl 49 in 2015, with with the following three matchups between the two teams all decided by 7 points or less.
However, their recent matchup in Super Bowl 60 was, as PFSN’s Matt Infante described it, “terrible.” Meirov agreed, noting that “the game itself wasn’t exactly a classic.”
The Seahawks won the Super Bowl 29-13 in a game that was never super exciting. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye struggled in the big game, as he turned the ball over 3 times (2 interceptions and a fumble).
There weren’t a ton of fireworks, as Seahawks star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba only had 27 receiving yards, and Sam Darnold barely passed for over 200 yards. Kenneth Walker III had the best stat line with 161 total yards… but he’s now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The game can be summed up by Seahawks kicker Jason Meyers kicking five field goals. As DaBearsBlog put it, “It’s a rematch nobody wants.”
Seahawks v Pats to open season. Just befuddling for me. (1) Vrabel now becomes a major story Week 1. (2) Last time they played the game was awful. It’s a rematch nobody wants.
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) May 13, 2026
Both teams enter the 2026 season with high expectations, but given that we just saw Seattle blow out New England on the NFL’s biggest stage a few months ago, there’s a good chance that this game will also be one-sided.
“Wasn’t the Super Bowl boring enough man,” one influencer wrote.
The other reason many were puzzled by this decision is that this will only amplify the Mike Vrabel and Dianni Russini scandal. It’s surprising that the NFL would put the Patriots in the season opener given everything going on. Instead of the season kickoff being a celebration of football being back, this could distract from that.
“Such a bizarre choice by the NFL. Here’s a rematch of a boring Super Bowl that nobody outside of Seattle enjoyed. Meanwhile, let’s force NBC to talk about the ‘Vrabel offseason distraction’ during their pregame show,” podcaster Billy Zimmerman said.
Such a bizarre choice by the NFL.
Here’s a rematch of a boring Super Bowl that nobody outside of Seattle enjoyed. Meanwhile, let’s force NBC to talk about the “Vrabel offseason distraction” during their pregame show. https://t.co/Cjqg3QLlBT
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) May 13, 2026
Meirov also brought up the Vrabel-Russini controversy while criticizing the Patriots-Seahawks season opener.
“The Mike Vrabel storyline is 1000% not going away — and this will only shine an even bigger spotlight on it leading up,” he wrote.
It’s possible that the Seahawks-Patriots matchup will exceed expectations, but it’s a puzzling choice by the NFL considering Seahawks-Bears would’ve been a fun alternative that wouldn’t have put the league’s biggest scandal front and center on opening night.
