NFL Facing Backlash For Kicking Off 2026 Season With Wednesday Game

The 2026 NFL season usually begins on Thursday night with the defending champions, but that won’t be the case this fall.

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Instead, a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will take place this Wednesday night. The NFL will then host an international game in Australia between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

While fans usually like having as much football on TV as possible, they’re not exactly thrilled about the league kicking off its season on a Wednesday.

“The NFL season starting on a Wednesday is still lame,” one fan wrote on X.

“I’m sure it’s probably been said a million times by now, but I absolutely can’t stand how the NFL season is kicking off on a Wednesday,” Connor Griffin of Barstool Sports said.

“NFL having their first game on a Wednesday is stupid can’t convince me otherwise,” a second fan commented.

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“NFL football on a Wednesday is gross. Feels like they’re on the verge of overplaying their hand chasing that international love that will *never* *EVER* take off like they want to,” another fan declared.

The NFL wants to keep expanding its international audience.

No matter what the NFL says, the reason the 2026 season starts on a Wednesday is because they want to increase their international audience. Roger Goodell has already said this Thursday’s game in Australia won’t be a one-time thing.

“There’s no question that we’re going to be playing here again,” Goodell said. “Our view is that we’re coming here for the long term. We don’t come as a one-off. This isn’t a circus.”

The NFL has games scheduled in Madrid, London, Paris and other notable cities this season.

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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 6:20 AM.