NFL Nation May 14, 2026, 09:24 PM ET Close NFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season. The NFL released the full 2026 schedule Thursday night, and it opens with a rematch of Super Bowl LX as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots on Sept. 9. Since 2004, defending champs have gone 16-5 in season openers, according to ESPN Research, including the Philadelphia Eagles ' 24-20 win against the Dallas Cowboys to start the 2025 season. The season is starting on a Wednesday to accommodate the first regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia. The Los Angeles Rams will play the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET. Melbourne is 14 hours ahead of New York and 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco, meaning the game will kick off at 10:35 a.m. local time the next day in Australia.…