It had been rumored for quite some time, but it's now official: The New England Patriots will face off against a familiar face to kick off the 2026 NFL season. First reported by Barstool Sports' Kirk Minihane and later confirmed by Jordan Schultz , the Patriots will travel to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. Scheduled on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Lumen Field, the Patriots will be in the building to watch the Seahawks drop their Super Bowl LX banner -- the one that came at the expense of New England. The Patriots have never opened up a regular season against the Seahawks, but are no strange to playing them early in the year. In 2020, they traveled to Seattle for a Week 2 matchup, and in 2024, the Seahawks came to Gillette Stadium for a Week 2 matchup. New England lost both of those games on the final play. New England is also not a stranger to playing in the first NFL game of the season .…