How to watch Patriots vs. Seahawks in Canada: NFL Week 1 opener
Photo: New England Patriots
The 2026 NFL season begins Wednesday night with a rematch of Super Bowl LX as the New England Patriots travel to Seattle to face the defending champion Seahawks at Lumen Field.
For fans in Canada, the matchup will be available exclusively on DAZN, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The meeting comes seven months after Seattle defeated New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. This time, the Patriots return to the Pacific Northwest looking for a different outcome, while the Seahawks begin their title defence at home.
It is only the third time in NFL history that the previous season’s Super Bowl opponents will meet again in Week 1, following Kansas City-Minnesota in 1970 and Carolina-Denver in 2016.
How to watch Patriots vs. Seahawks in Canada: NFL Week 1 opener
The Patriots-Seahawks game will stream live in Canada on DAZN through NFL Game Pass.
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET / 5:20 p.m. PT
Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
Watch in Canada: DAZN / NFL Game Pass
The game also represents a rare midweek beginning to the NFL calendar. It is only the second season-opening game played on a Wednesday, following Dallas against the New York Giants in 2012.
Seahawks begin their Super Bowl defence
Seattle enters 2026 with much of the group that won the championship intact, returning at least 20 starters from last season.
Sam Darnold remains at quarterback after becoming only the fourth player at the position to win a Super Bowl during his first season with a team. He also became the first quarterback to record 14 victories in consecutive seasons with different franchises, doing so with Minnesota in 2024 and Seattle in 2025.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba gives Darnold his leading target again after a 2025 campaign in which he recorded a franchise-record and NFL-leading 1,793 receiving yards.
There has been a significant change in the backfield. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III left for Kansas City, and Seattle used its first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price.
The Seahawks also enter the opener riding a 10-game winning streak, one victory short of matching the longest run in franchise history.
Maye and Patriots get immediate rematch
New England’s return to the Super Bowl followed a dramatic turnaround under Mike Vrabel. After finishing 4-13 in 2024, the Patriots went 14-3 during his first season as head coach.
Drake Maye was at the centre of that improvement.
The quarterback completed an NFL-best 72 per cent of his passes in 2025 and also led the league in yards per attempt at 8.9 and passer rating at 113.5. He finished with an AFC-high 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes.
Protecting Maye will be one of the areas to watch Wednesday. He was sacked 21 times during New England’s postseason run, including six times in the Super Bowl loss to Seattle.
The Patriots have also changed the group around him. A.J. Brown arrived in a trade with Philadelphia and Romeo Doubs was added in free agency, giving Maye new receiving options entering his third NFL season.
New England brings another streak into Seattle: the Patriots have won nine consecutive road games, including the playoffs.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, allowed an NFL-low 17.2 points per game last season. That defence against Maye and New England’s rebuilt receiving corps provides the first major test of a 2026 NFL season that begins with the two teams that played for the Lombardi Trophy only months ago.
