When the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, there were nine potential options for the Week 1 season-opening game in Seattle. The list is now down to four.
All NFC teams have nine home games this year. The Seahawks are due to host the 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Giants, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots.
With the 49ers and Rams set to play in Australia on Thursday, September 10, with the Cowboys and Giants slated for Sunday night, September 13, and with the Chiefs hosting the Broncos on Monday, September 14, only four options remain to be the road team on Wednesday, September 9: Cardinals, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots.
A Super Bowl rematch wouldn’t be unprecedented. Ten years ago, the Panthers and Broncos crossed paths in the first game of the season, after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos held on to win the game, 21-20, when Panthers kicker Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with nine seconds to play.
Unless the league announces the opponent before then, the team that will be present for the Seahawks to hang their latest banner will be known on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
As the saying goes, it’s better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission. As it relates to the annual team-by-team schedule-release videos, the NFL does not require that permission be obtained.
“Upon request, the league will review club videos,” a league spokesperson said via email. “There’s no mandate to submit their videos in advance. The league provides best practices and insights to the clubs during ongoing all-32 club meetings.”
That’s always been the case. However, last year’s video from the Colts was quickly deleted because the Minecraft-themed presentation lacked advance authorization from Microsoft, which holds the copyright to the Minecraft property. Also, this year’s schedule release comes at a time when plenty of teams that play the Patriots (and plenty that don’t) will be tempted to make an express or implied reference to the story of the offseason, especially after ESPN’s Inside The NBA did so in clear and obvious fashion.
Before Inside The NBA went there, it was our understanding that the Chargers — who are the masters of the schedule-release game and who play the Patriots this year — would refrain from addressing the situation. Given that Inside The NBA addressed the issue and the world continues to spin, maybe the Chargers will revisit their position.
Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel showed he had a knack for highlighting fast offensive players when he was the head coach in Miami and that has one of his new players excited about what’s coming his way during the 2026 season.
Running back Keaton Mitchell averaged 6.8 yards per touch over his three seasons with the Ravens and McDaniel identified him as a player of interest heading into free agency this offseason. Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz was in Baltimore’s front office when Mitchell signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and that helped a deal come together for Mitchell in Los Angeles.
Mitchell tore his ACL as a rookie and only played five games in 2024 before returning to touch the ball 68 times in 13 appearances last season. It’s unclear what kind of role the Chargers have in mind for him, but Mitchell feels there’s an opportunity to build on what he’s done so far in his career.
“Definitely motivating to be in a room where I feel like I have a chance and a shot to do big things,” Mitchell said, via the team’s website.
2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton will factor into any backfield plans for the Chargers, but Mitchell could also be a factor in the return game as he and the Chargers try to maximize the return on the team’s investment.
The Chargers have signed another member of their 2026 draft class.
The NFL’s transaction report for Monday shows that the team has signed second-round pick Jake Slaughter. He is the sixth of their eight selections to sign their four-year rookie deals.
Slaughter played center at Florida and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy last season, but the Chargers signed Tyler Biadasz in free agency and the team plans to have Slaughter at left guard during his rookie season.
“Jake’s been our top center through the entire process there,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “With the ability to play guard, at least he’ll get a real good, fighting chance to compete for the starting position.”
First-round edge rusher Akheem Mesidor and fourth-round wide receiver Brenen Thompson are the unsigned Chargers draft picks.
Veteran tight end David Njoku finally has a new home.
Via NFL Network, Njoku has agreed to terms with the Chargers on a one-year deal. It’s reportedly worth “up to” $8 million.
Which means it has a base value below that, with an opportunity to earn the rest through incentives. Without knowing the incentives, it’s impossible to know how easy or hard it will be to get there.
Njoku was the 29th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He had played nine years in Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023, with a career-high 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns.
With the 2025 season, Njoku completed a four-year, $54.75 million deal with the Browns.
In L.A., Njoku becomes another weapon in the new-look offense being implemented under coordinator Mike McDaniel. The Chargers currently have four other tight ends on the roster, headlined by Oronde Gadsen, who generated 664 receiving yards as a rookie in 2025.
His protracted stay on the free-agency market makes his signing not count for compensatory draft-pick purposes, for either the Chargers or the Browns.
