New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks live updates: Score, highlights, results for 2026 NFL Kickoff Game, Super Bowl LX rematch

Here’s what the Football Night in America team had to say about the Patriots and Seahawks ahead of tonight’s kickoff:

There definitely is an opening day vibe at Lumen Field with sharp cuts, crisp moves and smiles everywhere in warmups.

The NFL Kickoff Special has begun on NBC and Peacock with Maria Taylor, Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty and Mike Florio.

The pregame show will lead into the season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, kicking off at 8:20 p.m. ET.

The announcing team will feature Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and sideline reporters Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung. Terry McAulay is the rules analyst.

The Patriots and Seahawks have released their inactive lists 90 minutes ahead of the season opener.

New England: CB Karon Prunty, RB Treveyon Henderson, OLB Erick Hunter, T Walter Rouse, C Ben Brown, WR Efton Chism. Behren Morton is the emergency third quarterback.

Seattle: S Nick Emmanwori, G Beau Stephens, TE, Nick Kallerup, WR Tory Horton, DE Mike Morris, S Ty Okada. Jalen Milroe is the emergency third quarterback.

Seahawks-Patriots inactives: S Nick Emmanwori will not play

Safety Nick Emmanwori will not play the season opener tonight.

• Charean Williams,

• Charean Williams,

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald calls the plays for Seattle’s vaunted “Dark Side” unit, which led the NFL in scoring defense (17.2 points allowed per game).

It was the first time the Seahawks’ defense led the league in that category since the 2012-15 run for the legendary “Legion of Boom” that made consecutive Super Bowl appearances in 2014-15.

The Seahawks have extended three key defensive players: CB Devon Witherspoon (who signed a four-year, $132 million deal to briefly become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history), DT Leonard Williams (tied for team lead with seven sacks) and LB Derick Hall (who had two sacks in the Super Bowl win over New England. Starting CB Josh Jobe also re-signed to a three-year, $24 million contract

Other key returnees: LB Ernest Jones IV (team-leading 126 tackles and five interceptions), DT Byron Murphy II (seven sacks in the regular season, two in the Super Bowl).

The Seahawks lost DE Boye Mafe (Cincinnati), S Coby Bryant (Chicago) and CB Riq Woolen (Philadelphia) in free agency.
, who was a first-round pick by Seattle in

A few tweaks to keep in mind as the season begins tonight that are new for 2026:

• NFL head coaches can now designate an assistant to throw the challenge flag during games, but they will need to let the officiating crew know before the game (Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he plans to keep his challenge flag).
• Players will face a one-game suspension if they accumulate three of the following penalties: a hip drop tackle; a horse collar tackle; launching; a hit on a defenseless player; blindside block.
• Violations in each category will carry over into subsequent seasons, but players will start 2026 with a clean slate.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a quiet Super Bowl (four catches, 27 yards), but the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was still handsomely rewarded as the Seahawks’ major offensive threat.

Smith-Njigba became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, signing a four-year, $168.6-million contract extension. He is the fourth-highest paid non-quarterback in the league.

Last year, Smith-Njigba led the league with a Seattle-record 1,793 receiving yards (eighth most in NFL history) and also set a franchise record with 119 receptions (fourth in NFL) with 10 touchdowns.

Here are some of the key players on the injury report for the Patriots and Seahawks ahead of tonight’s Super Bowl rematch:

• Out: New England OL Ben Brown out (knee)
• Questionable: RB Treyveon Henderson (ankle), Seattle S Nick Emmanwori (ankle), Seattle S Ty Okada (hamstring), Seattle WR Tory Horton (hamstring), Seattle OT Josh Jones (knee)

After signing a three-year, $100.5-million to join the Seahawks last season, Sam Darnold backed up the big money by leading Seattle to its second Super Bowl championship.

Darnold, who became the first quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in consecutive seasons with different teams (Minnesota in 2024), threw 25 touchdowns with 4,048 passing yards and a fifth-ranked completion percentage (67.7%) But he also led the NFL with 20 turnovers (14 interceptions, six fumbles) and completed only 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards in the Super Bowl.

“Sam doesn’t care about the obstacles,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after the Super Bowl win. “Everybody’s made a narrative about this guy. They have tried to put a story and a label on who he is as a person, who he is as a quarterback. He does not care. He’s the same guy every day since he showed up … All he’s done since he’s walked in the door is be a tremendous player on our football team and a tremendous leader who’s the same every day. That’s who he is, and that’s how we need to talk about him moving forward.”

The Patriots’ defense got some good news this week as star Christian Gonzalez agreed to a new four-year, $135 million deal ($102 million guaranteed) that made him the highest-paid cornerback in league history.

During the offseason, the Patriots also added safety Kevin Byard, a first-team All-Pro who led the NFL with seven interceptions for the Chicago Bears last year.

Gonzalez’s re-signing comes a year after New England spent big on its defense, signing DT Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract and also signing linebackers Harold Landry (team-high 8.5 sacks) and Robert Spillane (team-high 97 tackles).

Landry will miss at least the first four games after offseason surgery.

New England’s defense made massive strides last season, becoming the first team since the 2000 Ravens to hold opponents to 16 points or fewer in three consecutive playoff games in a single season. The Super Bowl put a damper on the run as the Patriots allowed 29 points after conceding only 26 points total in the first three playoff games.

Zak Kuhr, the inside linebacker coach for New England last year, is the team’s new defensive coordinator this season. Kuhr called all of the Patriots’ defensive plays after the first week of last season when former DC Terrell Williams stepped away because of a prostate cancer diagnosis. Williams, who was declared cancer-free during the playoffs and traveled to the Super Bowl, will be an assistant head coach

Coverage of the season opener will begin at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with the NFL Kickoff Special featuring host Maria Taylor with Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty and Mike Florio.

Kickoff is slated for 8:20 p.m.

The new ownership of the Seattle Seahawks made a little news Wednesday before their season opener.

Seahawks vice-chairman Neal Khosla announced the Seahawks will don a white throwback uniform for 2027. The Seahawks have been wearing their blue throwbacks since 2023 and will have them for three games this season.

Time for all the Steve Largent and Jim Zorn fans to get fired up.

A Super Bowl defeat dulled a little of the shine left by Drake Maye in a remarkable second season.

The New England quarterback finished second in MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, losing by one first-place vote in the closest MVP race since 2003 when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the award.

Last year, Maye led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per pass attempt, and passer rating. He became the first player under 23 years old to lead the NFL in completion percentage since John Brodie for San Francisco in 1958.

But struggling behind an inexperienced offensive line, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had multiple turnovers in three of four playoff games after only three regular-season games with multiple turnovers. Two interceptions and a fumble in the Super Bowl was a career high in turnovers for Maye.

The last time the Seahawks won a Super Bowl in 2014, they came literally a few feet away from repeating.

Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception of Russell Wilson in the final minute of Seattle’s 28-24 loss to New England is undoubtedly on the minds of Seahawks fans as another repeat bid begins — which coach Mike Macdonald is

“We’re using the term, we want to run it forward,” Macdonald said. "''It’ meaning our process and who we are… The way I phrase it to the team is, it’s something that could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – hopefully it’s more than once in a lifetime for our team – but that’s a thing that happened that we can cherish and we should be proud of because of the amount of work that it took and all the things that go into winning a Super Bowl. But I think the thing that we find the joy in is what we’ve created and the way of life, what we’re trying to do here on a daily basis.”

The Seahawks will have some extra motivation: Despite a 14-3 record last season, Seattle is listed behind the Los Angeles Rams on the list of favorites to win the NFC West this year. Last year, the Seahawks lost to the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the regular season but beat both in the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl.

“I think I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little extra motivation from hearing that type of stuff,” Seattle defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “There’s extra chips on our shoulder. We just came off of a Super Bowl-winning season. People are still giving other people favorites over us.”

Uchenna Nwosu, the Seahawks linebacker who made the game-winning touchdown interception in Super Bowl XL, had a memorable journey to his star turn on the NFL’s biggest stage.

As part of NBC Sports’ By Way of Africa series, Mary Omatiga talked to Nwosu (whose name means “God’s will”) about how his Nigerian roots and his parents’ sacrifices shaped the resilience that helped him reach Seattle.

“My parents could have named me anything, but they named me Uchenna because I am God’s will,” he said.

“What I’ve gone through is a testament to what God has done in my life and my family’s life. He’s blessed me and put me in positions to be successful far beyond my imagination. I’m definitely thankful for that. Nigerian heritage is very important to me, and I’ll always wear it as a heavy crown.”

You can read more of their conversation here:

‘Far Beyond My Imagination’: How Nigerian Values Shaped Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu

Seattle Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu reflects on his Nigerian heritage.

• Mary Omatiga,

• Mary Omatiga,

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Patriots and head coach Mike Vrabel, who was embroiled in controversy after photos were published with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini. Vrabel left the team for the final day of the NFL Draft to spend time with family while seeking counseling.

The Patriots released a statement in April that they “fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.”

Asked what he learned from counseling, Vrabel said last month: “I think we always look at improvement. As we talk about getting ready for the next season, we always look at improvement and ways that we can improve individually and how we can improve as a team. It’s really critical that we continue to do that on and off the field…”

Any in-season distractions could derail the Patriots, who have the sixth-toughest schedule based on opponents’ winning percentage last season (.531). That’s in contrast to last year when New England’s opponents had a winning percentage of .391 — marking the team’s easiest regular-season schedule since 1999.

In this video, Mike Florio and Chris Simms discuss how New England will manage the repercussions of a tumultuous offseason and what a slow start could mean for the team in Vrabel’s second season:

The Lumen Field walk-ins to the locker room have begun, and the NFL social media account has the arrivals covered:

After winning the Super Bowl in his first and only season as Seattle’s offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak left to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Seahawks named Brian Fleury as Kubiak’s replacement. It’s the first time that Fleury has been an offensive coordinator at any level of football, and he becomes the third offensive coordinator in three seasons under head coach Mike Macdonald (who had Ryan Grubb as the OC in 2024).

The Seahawks ranked third in scoring (28.4 points per game) and eighth in total offense (351.4 yards per game). Fleury, who was the 49ers’ tight end coach for the last four of his seven seasons on Kyle Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco, has worked previously with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.

Here’s more on the transition:

New England made the Super Bowl, but the playoffs revealed some major weaknesses in the offensive line for quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye was sacked an NFL record 21 times (including six in the Super Bowl) as his completion percentage (58.3%) and yards per attempt (6.9) plummeted in the postseason.

The Patriots signed new starting left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker from the New York Jets in a three-year, $42 million deal. Tucker, a first-round pick by the Jets in 2021, missed last season with a torn triceps after injuries kept him out of most of the 2022-23 seasons.

New England also traded up in the draft to pick Utah OT Caleb Lomu with the 28th overall pick. It’s the first time in franchise history that New England selected offensive tackles in the first round of consecutive drafts. Last year, the Patriots took left tackle Will Campbell fourth overall.

The starting offensive line is expected to include four of its five starters from last season’s Super Bowl: Campbell, Jared Wilson (who started at left guard in the Super Bowl), right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses. Wilson, a third-round pick last year, and Campbell were the first pair of rookies to start on the same offensive line in a Super Bowl. Wilson slides into the center spot to replace Garrett Bradbury, who started every game last season, and was traded to the Bears in March.

More below on the Patriots’ retooled offensive line:

NBC Sports betting expert Vaughn Dalzell breaks down tonight’s game for betting trends and stats:

Patriots vs Seahawks prediction: Odds, expert picks, QB matchup, injury update, betting trends, and stats

New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks Game Preview for the 2026 NFL Regular Season Opener

• Vaughn Dalzell,

• Vaughn Dalzell,

In the video below, Trysta Krick and Jay Croucher highly recommend the under on the 44.5 point total:

Much has happened in the Seattle backfield since Seattle’s Super Bowl victory.

Kenneth Walker III, who was named Super Bowl MVP after rushing for 135 yards against the Patriots, signed a three-year, $43-million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Seahawks took Jadarian Price in the first round of the NFL Draft, and the rookie from Notre Dame could see a lot of work to begin his first season. Zach Charbonnet, who teamed with Walker last year to provide Seattle with a dual threat, is recovering from an ACL injury in the divisional round playoff win over San Francisco.

Charbonnet, who had career highs in carries (184), rushing yards (730) and TDs (12, 10 from 6 yards or fewer) will miss at least the first four games.

New England spent the offseason shoring up its wide receiver corps.

The Patriots acquired A.J. Brown from Philadelphia and signed free agent Romeo Doubs. Brown, who has at least 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in each of the past four seasons, is expected to fill the shoes of Stefon Diggs, who was released after becoming New England’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2019.

Check out this analysis from Mike Florio and Chris Simms on the wideouts’ potential impact:

The last time these teams met, it was for major stakes: the NFL championship.

The Seahawks defeated the Patriots 29-13 on Feb. 8 for their second title. If you’d like to recall the stats from that game, click here for the full 17-page book that covers everything that happened.

All the individual and team stats, all the drive summaries, play by play, lineups and miscellaneous stats in this full statistical book.

And if you’d prefer to recall some of the highlights and big moments, here’s our live blog on the big game from seven months ago:

2026 Super Bowl Seahawks vs Patriots live updates: Score, highlights, news, analysis, stats for SB 60

Follow along for pregame updates on the big game, which is being broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

• Nate Ryan,

• Nate Ryan,