Entertainment
Seattle Seahawks face difficult road to repeat as Super Bowl champions
The Seahawks will begin their title defense on Wednesday, September 9, in an NFL season that features a record nine international games.
The short version
- The Seattle Seahawks enter the 2026 NFL season seeking to repeat as Super Bowl champions, but they are not the favorites to win a highly competitive NFC West.
- The Los Angeles Rams have emerged as oddsmakers' prohibitive favorites to win the Super Bowl following the return of star defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
- The 2026 season officially opens on September 9 with a Super Bowl rematch between Seattle and New England, followed by the league's first-ever regular-season game in Australia the next day.
Key facts
- The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season with quarterback Sam Darnold and a strong defense, but have since lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.[Associated Press]
- The Los Angeles Rams are oddsmakers' prohibitive Super Bowl favorites after eight-time All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald came out of a two-year retirement to rejoin the team.[Associated Press]
- The NFL season starts on Wednesday, September 9, with a Super Bowl rematch between Seattle and the New England Patriots, marking only the second time the league has opened on a Wednesday.[Associated Press]
- The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will play the following day in Australia, representing the NFL's first regular-season game in the country and kicking off an unprecedented slate of nine international games in 2026.[Associated Press]