Per league tradition, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will host the annual NFL Kickoff Game. However, the NFL schedule will reportedly have a different Week 1 format for this season.
According to Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal, the Seahawks’ Kickoff Game will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The Rams-49ers game in Melbourne will be the Thursday game on Sept. 10.
As Flint noted, the NFL can’t play a game on Friday this year. That’s because the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 prevents the NFL from scheduling games on Fridays and Saturdays, from the second Friday of September to the second Saturday in December.
The Seahawks are slated to play nine home games this season. As per tradition, they’ll play home and away games against the NFC West rivals in the 49ers, Rams and Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle’s other six home opponents are the New England Patriots (a rematch of Super Bowl 60), Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
We know the ‘Hawks won’t cost the Rams or 49ers in Week 1. The rebuilding Cardinals and Giants shouldn’t be considered, either. That means it’s likely down to Dallas, Chicago, LA, Kansas City and New England.
The NFL may not want to schedule Kansas City’s trip to Seattle that early. We still don’t know when Patrick Mahomes will return from his torn ACL.
The New Orleans Saints will be without veteran cornerback Beanie Bishop for their first three games of 2026.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league has suspended Beanie Bishop for the first three games next season. The 26-year-old was signed by New Orleans in December and agreed to a reserve/future contract in January.
The Saints made a handful of big splashes in free agency. Their biggest move was signing former Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year contract worth a whopping $52 million.
New Orleans also signed offensive lineman David Edwards (four years, $61 million) and linebacker Kaden Elliss (three years, $33 million).
Beanie Bishop Is Part Of A New-Look Saints Defense
Beanie Bishop (Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
The Saints’ defense lost several veteran mainstays in free agency. That includes cornerbacks Alontae Taylor (Tennessee Titans), linebacker Demario Davis (New York Jets) and tight end Foster Moreau (Houston Texans).
Franchise icon Cameron Jordan is also a free agent and likely to sign elsewhere. With the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft, New Orleans is in a good spot to add another difference-maker on defense if it wants to go that route.
Bishop had four interceptions, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble in the 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Given all the notable departures in NOLA, there’s a good chance that Bishop will get more playing time when he returns.
