ESPN May 14, 2026, 07:38 PM ET The Seattle Seahawks will begin defense of their Super Bowl title against the team they defeated to win it. Seven months after downing the Patriots to capture Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks will welcome Drake Maye and New England to Lumen Field for the 2026 NFL season opener on Sept. 9. The matchup was among many notables unveiled Thursday night as NFL teams posted their schedules on social media followed by the league's full announcement of its 272-game slate. It will be the third time the teams in the previous season's Super Bowl will meet in Week 1 of the next season and the second time they'll do so in the opener. The only other time came in 2016, when the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers after defeating them in Super Bowl 50 earlier in the year. Seattle will look to do the same to coach Mike Vrabel and New England, and history is on its side. Since 2004, 21 defending champs have played in the opener and have gone 16-5.…