NFL Kicks Off on Wednesday, Australia Game on Thursday

0:00It's March 17th, here's your NFL news in two minutes. Subscribe to Stay Locked in All Season. The 2026 NFL season kicks off on Wednesday, September 9th, with the Seattle Seahawks hosting a rare midweek opener at 8.20pm, Eastern Time on NBC. This marks just the second time in 75 years the league has started on a Wednesday. The full schedule drops in May, but week one is already coming together. Wednesday, September 10th, brings the first regular season NFL game in Australia, pitting the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers, and Melbourne. Officials shifted this match up to Thursday after planting hiccups, bumping the Seahawks into the Wednesday slot instead of the usual Super Bowl winner, hosting that night. Fans are buzzing about the historic Wednesday start, last scene in 2012, to avoid clashing with the political convention speech. The addo could face teams like the Cardinals, Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Jargers, or Patriots,

1:00though a rematch with New England seems possible. Chiefs might sit out, due to Patrick Mahomes' uncertain recovery from his ACL tier. For the Australia game, expect the 10.20am Friday kickoff local time there, lining up with 8.20pm Eastern on Thursday in the U.S. The NFL is selling broadcast rights as part of a mini-package of 5 or 6 games, while teens get extra prep time for week 2 amid the jet lag. No Friday game this year, breaking the pattern from 2024 and 2025. A 1961 broadcasting law blocks NFL games on Fridays after the first week of September to protect high school and college football, and September 11th falls into that restricted window. Next week, one Friday opener likely waits until 2029. Support for this episode comes from our sponsor, see the description. Relax deeper, reset faster. Comfort you can hear, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.