Two-minute drill: Super Bowl rematch, historic 49ers-Rams game highlight Week 1 NFL slate

It is finally game week in the NFL, and there is no shortage of marquee games to begin the season. From a Super Bowl rematch on opening night and the first regular-season game in Australia to early divisional showdowns and notable quarterback news, here is everything going on in the league.

Patriots-Rams Super Bowl rematch kicks off 2026 season

The Seattle Seahawks will raise their championship banner as they welcome the New England Patriots on Wednesday night to officially kick off another NFL season. 

It will be a rematch of Super Bowl LX when the Seahawks hoisted their second Lombardi Trophy after a dominant 29-13 victory. Both teams will look a little different than the last time they met with star wideout A.J. Brown joining the Patriots and the Seahawks trying to overcome the loss of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ahead of the game, the Patriots made sure to keep 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez around for the foreseeable future with a four-year, $135M extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in league history with $102M guaranteed.

Injuries are also setting the tone before kickoff. Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) has been ruled out, while the Seahawks face secondary concerns with second-year defensive back Nick Emmanwori (ankle) questionable and safety Ty Okada (hamstring) ruled out.

49ers-Rams face off in Australia

For the first time in NFL history, a regular-season game will take place "Down Under" as NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, square off on Thursday night.

The Rams enter the season as the clear Super Bowl favorites (+550, per FanDuel) after trading for star pass-rusher Myles Garrett and getting three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald to come out of retirement on a $20M deal.

However, with the game taking place in Australia, Donald will not travel for the opener and will instead focus on potentially returning for a Week 2 "Monday Night Football" tilt with the New York Giants. 

While the status of Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua remains a toss-up as he continues to deal with a complicated issue off the field, Nick Bosa is expected to suit up for the 49ers after tearing his right ACL last season and tight end George Kittle is trending toward a return after tearing his right Achilles.

Huge divisional showdowns in prime time

The Dallas Cowboys play their NFC East rival Giants on Sunday night. While the expectations are high surrounding Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense, there are a few more unknowns with the Giants as John Harbaugh takes over at head coach on a young and mostly unproven team.

Odell Beckham Jr. is set to play his first regular-season game in a Giants uniform since 2018. The Cowboys, meanwhile, could be tested in pass protection after it was announced on Monday that three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Tyler Smith could miss four to six weeks with a left thumb injury.

The Denver Broncos and Chiefs close out the Week 1 slate Monday night as QBs Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes look to bounce back from devastating injuries last season.

However, while Mahomes is expected to start as long as there is no setback this week, he could be down some help on the offensive line as starting left tackle Josh Simmons deals with a back issue.

Baker Mayfield gets paid; Notable QB1 decisions

After stalled contract negotiations throughout the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed their QB to a three-year, $165M extension on Tuesday. Despite battling a left shoulder injury and missing the playoffs last season, Mayfield has the fourth-most passing yards (8,193) in the league over the last two seasons and is certainly capable of backing the extension up.

Elsewhere around the league, the Las Vegas Raiders named veteran Kirk Cousins as QB1 over rookie Fernando Mendoza, while the Atlanta Falcons went with Tua Tagovailoa over Michael Penix Jr. It remains to be seen how long both of them remain in those roles, but they will at least start the season under center.