NBC Sports Opens NFL Season With Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl Rematch in NFL Kickoff Game
And the Giants-Cowboys rivalry returns in the Sept. 13 season debut of 'Sunday Night Football' on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
September 02, 2026
One week from today, NBC Sports will open its 21st season of Sunday Night Football with the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game next Wednesday, Sept. 9, when Sam Darnold and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with the NFL Kickoff Special, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
NBC Sports’ Kickoff Weekend coverage continues on Sunday, Sept. 13 with the season-debut of Sunday Night Football, as the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants (coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock).
Next Wednesday’s game – the 21st consecutive NFL season opener on NBC – marks the first Super Bowl rematch in the NFL Kickoff Game in a decade (Broncos beat Panthers 21-20 in 2016 in Denver, following a win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and only the third Week 1 Super Bowl rematch all-time (Vikings defeated Chiefs 27-10 in Minnesota, following a loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl IV).
The Seahawks defeated the Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX. Seattle returns the bulk of its core players including Darnold, reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and All-Pro defensive tackle Leonard Williams. New England will be led by Maye, All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and newly acquired three-time All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown in his Patriots debut.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporters) will call Patriots-Seahawks – seven months after broadcasting the Super Bowl matchup. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the rules analyst for all NFL games on NBC and Peacock.
Coverage of next Wednesday’s NFL Kickoff Game begins with the NFL Kickoff Special at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The pregame show, a special edition of Football Night in America, will be on-site from Lumen Field in Seattle and will feature host Maria Taylor, joined by Super Bowl‑winning former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin, along with former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, and NFL insider Mike Florio.
Mike Tomlin Makes NBC Sports Regular-Season NFL Debut
Tomlin, who debuted with NBC Sports as a FNIA studio analyst at the Hall of Fame Game last month, spent 19 seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2007–25), compiling 193 regular‑season wins -- ninth all‑time -- and 13 postseason appearances. He never had a losing season, a 19-season streak unmatched in NFL history. Tomlin led the Steelers to a victory in Super Bowl XLIII, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27–23, and becoming the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl at age 36. During his Steelers tenure, Tomlin had a prominent role on the influential NFL Competition Committee for many years.
Debut of Sunday Night Football – Cowboys at Giants
Sunday Night Football – America’s No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years – debuts its 21st season four nights later on Sunday, Sept. 13, featuring Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys visiting Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants, in John Harbaugh’s head coaching debut with New York. The Sunday night opener marks the 14th time the Cowboys face the Giants in NBC’s Sunday Night Football package – the second-most played matchup on NBC’s SNF (Cowboys-Eagles, 17).
The Giants and Cowboys split their season series last year, with each team winning on its home field. New York is led by a young core featuring Dart, Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo, and All-Pro linebacker Brian Burns. Prescott returns for his 11th season under center for Dallas, alongside All-Pro wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Coverage begins with Football Night in America -- the most-watched studio show in sports -- live on-site from MetLife Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, leading into kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Universo.
Tirico and Collinsworth will be in the booth and Stark on the sidelines for Cowboys-Giants at MetLife Stadium.
NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by coordinating producer Rob Hyland and director Drew Esocoff. SNF has won a record 12 Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series. Sam Flood is Executive Producer & President, NBC Sports Production. Fred Gaudelli is executive producer of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage.
Football Night, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The coordinating producer of FNIA is Matt Casey. FNIA is directed by Sean Page.
SNF Conference Call – Tomorrow, Sept. 3 at 3:15 P.M. ET
Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Mike Tomlin and coordinating producer Rob Hyland will preview the Sunday Night Football season on a media conference call tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 3, at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Media interested in participating should call 201-689-8852; Passcode: NBC Sports
For more information, click here.
NFL Kickoff Spotlight
Next Friday, Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, Football Night in America analysts Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett, and Devin McCourty join host Maria Taylor on the NFL Kickoff Spotlight. The one-hour show will look ahead to the season with topical discussion and NFL Films-produced previews featuring exclusive training camp footage highlighted by sound from players and coaches wearing mics at all 32 training camps.
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, an NFL post-game show produced by NBC Sports, streams exclusively on Peacock following every Sunday Night Football game during the 2026 season. Hosted from the game site by Jac Collinsworth alongside Devin McCourty and Jason Garrett, the show will feature instant reaction to each Sunday game, along with highlights and interviews. Football Night in America’s studio team will contribute recaps and analysis of the day’s biggest moments, while Mike Florio provides injury and news updates.
NBC Sports to Present 26 NFL Games in 2026
On NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports will present 22 regular-season games – 18 regular-season Sunday Night Football games, NFL Kickoff 2026, and the annual Thanksgiving night game and a late afternoon Week 17 game at 4:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 2, 2027, plus a primetime Week 17 Peacock exclusive game on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. NBC Sports will present three postseason games on NBC and Peacock – two Wild Card games, including one in primetime on Sunday night Jan. 17, and one Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of January 23-24. NBC and Peacock also presented the preseason-opening Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Peacock to Stream All NBC NFL Games This Season
Peacock will once again stream all NBC NFL games, including the playoffs, and the Football Night in America studio show. The exclusive Peacock Sunday Night Football Final returns with expanded postgame coverage following SNF each week. Peacock will be the exclusive national home of an NFL Week 17 game in primetime on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, immediately following an NFL game at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBC stations in competing team cities will also broadcast the Peacock exclusive game.
Peacock features a slate of sports talk content NFL fans can enjoy on the NBC Sports channel, which is free to stream. Shows include The Dan Patrick Show, PFT Live, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Not So Fast with Pabst & Perloff, and The Dan Le Batard Show.
To learn more about the NFL on Peacock, including how to watch and sign up, click here.
NBCSports.com & NBC Sports App to Live Stream All NBC NFL Games
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts.
Telemundo Deportes to Present Entire NBC Sunday Night Football Schedule
Telemundo Deportes will again provide exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the entire NBC Sunday Night Football package and three playoff games across Telemundo/Universo and Peacock. Games will also be available on live stream via the Telemundo app.
Chris Simms Unbuttoned – Weekdays at 4 P.M. ET on NBC Sports Now and Peacock
Chris Simms returns with the beginning of the 2026 NFL season with his unfiltered look, fresh perspective, insider knowledge, along with a touch of humor in every episode as he breaks down the NFL like no one else can on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. From deep-dive game analysis to player rankings, expert picks and much more, Simms and co-host Connor Rogers always keep the show unfiltered and entertaining. The show is available to stream on Peacock on weekdays and is also available in podcast form here.
NBC Sports NOW, a free 24/7 streaming channel offering daily sports talk shows, live sports and highlights, is available via Peacock, the NBC Sports app on mobile and tablet devices, and all major FAST Channel distributors, including the Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus. NBC Sports NOW’s weekday programming features PFT Live (7-9 a.m. ET), The Dan Patrick Show (9 a.m.-Noon ET), Not So Fast with Pabst & Perloff (Noon-1 p.m. ET), The Dan Le Batard Show (1-4 p.m. ET), Chris Simms Unbuttoned (4-5 p.m. ET), and various NBC Sports Voices (6-7 p.m. ET).
PFT Live – Weekdays at 7 A.M. ET on NBC Sports Now and Peacock
Mike Florio brings fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live streaming live on Peacock at 7 a.m. ET.
The two-hour PFT Live is known for delivering inside information and comprehensive analysis from an independent perspective. The show covers all the latest news around the league, breaks down reports and rumors and features interviews with players, coaches and executives.
Rotoworld
NBC Sports’ Rotoworld offers comprehensive fantasy football and betting coverage throughout the 2026 NFL season across NBC Sports’ fantasy sports platforms. The 2026 Rotoworld Fantasy Football Draft Kit provides a destination for fantasy players to receive the best insights and analysis. Additionally, exclusive content from Rotoworld’s team of expert analysts is available now on NBC Sports’ Fantasy homepage. Click here for more information.
Podcasts
NBC Sports’ football podcasts provide extensive weekly offerings from NBC Sports’ most popular personalities and present special guests, exclusive interviews, and robust conversations across all of football on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, PFT Live, Rotoworld Football Show, along with college football on Rushing the Field.
Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT Live dive into deep conversations around the sports’ hottest topics and Rotoworld Football Show explores fantasy implications for fans. New episodes of NBC Sports podcasts are available for download each week on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn.
Sunday Night Football Social Media
With over millions of followers across all major social media platforms, @SNFonNBC leverages NBC's primetime entertainment-centric legacy to engage avid and casual fans with accessible, best-in-class content - showcasing the talent, production, and prestige that makes Sunday Night Football can't-miss.
Follow us on social media:
NBC Sports Regional Networks
NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, and NBC Sports Philadelphia will again deliver extensive multiplatform coverage of the 2026 NFL season, led by comprehensive live gameday shows, in-depth news, analysis and commentary programming, and multimedia digital content covering the teams in their respective markets.
SNF Show Open Starring Carrie Underwood Debuts, Sun., Sept. 13
Multi-platinum, 8-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood will star in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the 14th consecutive season. This year’s show open debuts next Sunday night, Sept. 13, before kickoff of Cowboys-Giants on NBC and Peacock.
In the latest evolution of SNF’s show opens since 2013, the year of Underwood’s debut, this year’s edition features scenes in three distinct locations – the recording studio, an intimate setting in a small music venue, and a concert performance in a packed stadium.
SNF is Television’s No. 1 Primetime Show for Record 15th Consecutive Year
Sunday Night Football topped all primetime television series in the fall and once again finished as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 15th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.
| 2026 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE | ||
| Wed. Sept. 9 | NFL Kickoff | New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks |
| Sun. Sept. 13 | Week 1 | Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants |
| Sun. Sept. 20 | Week 2 | Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs |
| Sun. Sept. 27 | Week 3 | Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos |
| Sun. Oct. 4 | Week 4 | Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers |
| *Sun. Oct. 11 | Week 5 | Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons |
| *Sun. Oct. 18 | Week 6 | Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers |
| *Sun. Oct. 25 | Week 7 | Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks |
| *Sun. Nov. 1 | Week 8 | Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders |
| *Sun. Nov. 8 | Week 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears |
| *Sun. Nov. 15 | Week 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals |
| # Sun. Nov. 22 | Week 11 | Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers |
| **Thurs. Nov. 26 | Week 12 | Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills |
| *Sun. Nov. 29 | Week 12 | New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers |
| *Sun. Dec. 6 | Week 13 | Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers |
| *Sun. Dec. 13 | Week 14 | Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers |
| *Sun. Dec. 20 | Week 15 | Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings |
| *Sun. Dec. 27 | Week 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys |
| Sat. Jan. 2 (4:30 p.m. ET) | Week 17 | From Saturday Pool |
| Sat. Jan. 2 | Week 17 | *PEACOCK EXCLUSIVE* From Sat. Pool |
| *Sun. Jan. 3 | Week 17 | Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers |
| *Sun. Jan. 10 | Week 18 | NFL #Game272 – TBD |
# NFL International Game in Mexico City
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
Click here for more information on this year’s Sunday Night Football schedule.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: This season, “flexible scheduling” for NBC’s Sunday Night Football may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and in the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11-17. During these flex scheduling windows, the games initially scheduled for NBC Sunday Night Football are tentatively scheduled and subject to change. Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon. As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. Specific dates, start times, and networks for Week 18 matchups will be determined and announced following the conclusion of Week 17. For more information about NFL Flexible Scheduling, please visit https://www.nfl.com/schedules/flexible-scheduling-procedures
