Latest on 2026 schedule: Seahawks playing most intriguing games on unique dates
Santa’s apparently bringing one of the NFL most attractive games for the coming season to Seattle.
Sam Darnold, Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks are hosting Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay and the division rival Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day at Lumen Field, in a rematch of January’s NFC championship game. That’s per Dave Mahler of KJR radio in Seattle Wednesday afternoon.
The game is likely to be a 5:15 p.m. local-time kickoff on FOX television Friday, Dec. 25. Games earlier in the day on Christmas are going to be on the Netflix streaming service. It’s unlikely the Rams will get three Netflix games. The Rams are already reportedly playing two Netflix games this coming season. That includes L.A. versus the San Francisco 49ers in Australia in week one.
The leak is ahead of the league officially releasing its complete 2026 schedule Thursday at 5 p.m. If it’s true, this will be the first Christmas game in the Seahawks’ 51-season history.
The team has played on Friday only one other time: Dec. 20, 1985, a loss to Denver in an ABC television primetime special from the Kingdome that season.
Mahler reported the Seahawks will play at the Rams to finish the regular season in week 18. That would mean two of the league’s most attractive divisional matchups would happen over the final three weeks of the season. In doing so, the NFL apparently believes those games will decide the NFC West for the second consecutive season.
A Rams-Seahawks Christmas game would mean a short rest for both teams before one of the most compelling and likely influential meetings of the 2026 season. Either Seattle or Los Angeles could play one of the Saturday games the NFL will have the weekend before. Otherwise, they will be playing on Christmas on four days’ rest.
An unsubstantiated report Thursday morning said the Seahawks are indeed playing on the Saturday before Christmas, Dec. 19, at Philadelphia in a 2 p.m. Pacific Time game. That’s one of three East Coast trips for Seattle.
The Rams and Seahawks played three thrilling games last season. Seattle won two of them, both at home. That included a crazy win in overtime 38-37 on a Thursday night in December at Lumen Field, when the Seahawks rallied from down 16 points in the fourth quarter. Seattle then beat L.A. 31-27 in the conference title game in January to get the Seahawks into Super Bowl 60.
Super Bowl rematch opener?
The Seahawks’ spotlight opening game of the NFL’s 2026 season Wednesday Sept. 9 at Lumen Field as defending champions is reportedly going to be against the New England Patriots. That’s per a report Wednesday by New York-based NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
If true, this will be the first time in 10 years the opening game is a Super Bowl rematch. Carolina was at Denver to begin the 2016 season. The traditional league opener on the home field of the defending Super Bowl champions will be the first Wednesday game in Seahawks history.
Six primetime games
Mahler also reported the Seahawks will play six primetime games in the 2026 season.
Those include Monday nights at Lumen Field against the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys.
Many expected the defending NFC North-champion Bears to be Seattle’s foe in the NFL’s opening game at Lumen Field in early September. Instead, it’s the Patriots.
At Las Vegas
Many Seahawks fans want to know when the team is playing the Raiders in Las Vegas this season. It’s likely the most popular Seattle road game for 2026.
It’s reportedly going to be in week 10, Nov. 15, per a report online Thursday morning.
In D.C. early?
The Seahawks apparently will make another one of their three trips to the East Coast in week three. Seattle will play at the Washington Commanders Sunday, Sept. 27 in Landover, Maryland, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, per two reports.
The Seahawks won big at the Commanders last season, 38-14 when then-rookie Tory Horton scored two touchdowns in a Sunday night game.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 8:06 PM.
