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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks know the opponents they’ll face in the 2026 NFL season, but they don’t yet know the exact schedule. Nonetheless, there’s one team that would make sense as an opponent to open the campaign against in Week 1: The Chicago Bears.

Chicago is one of the teams visiting Lumen Field this upcoming season, and Seattle Sports’ Gee Scott believes the Bears and Seahawks will kick off the new NFL season in a couple of months.

“Rookie minicamp is underway right now,” Scott said on the May 1 edition of “The Reset.” “Then OTAs will get started, followed by minicamp, a short break, and then training camp before the season kicks off on September 9th. I still think the first game of the season will be the Bears.

“My opinion comes from looking at the home games that have already been announced for Lumen Field. When you go through the schedule and stack up the opponents, the best matchup for the fans and the city, in my view, is Sept. 9th against the Bears.”

The Bears-Seahawks matchup makes a lot of sense, as Chicago checks off a major market and a team coming off a playoff appearance last season, with high hopes for this 2026 campaign led by QB Caleb Williams.

Coby Bryant Would Like to Play Seahawks in Week 1

Nonetheless, one former Seahawk is telling the league’s schedule makers that he would like to play his old team in Week 1. Seattle allowed several key players to leave via free agency this offseason, including safety Coby Bryant.

The 27-year-old agreed to a three-year deal worth $40 million with the Bears this offseason, per ESPN.

On March 19, Bryant appeared on “Up & Adams” and understood that the Bears are playing the Seahawks this upcoming season, noting that he would like for his new team to head to Seattle in Week 1 to spoil the celebrations.

“Every game’s a meaningful game, but I wouldn’t mind honestly starting the season off out there [against the Seahawks],” Bryant told Adams. “Weather would be nice; the whole world will be watching.”

Moreover, Bryant believes his new team will be up to face the Seahawks regardless of where the NFL decides to schedule this game.

“I’m always motivated,” Bryant noted. “I know [Bears head coach Ben Johnson] will be too, and Caleb [Williams] and the rest of the team will be. Like I said, we’re building something special over there, and I’m excited.”

Seattle Ready to Lean on a New Face This 2026 Season

While an old face would like to return to face the Seahawks, Seattle will have new faces, including former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Jadarian Price, whom the team selected with its first-round pick.

After making the pick, Seahawks general manager John Schneider spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on the player and why the decision made sense for the team.

“Great player, great person,” Schneider said on April 23. “We thought we had some opportunities for a minute. It fell apart. There’s a lot of trading going on there right ahead of us. But he kind of stood alone. Great player.

“The person’s outstanding, the competitor. He’s a Seahawk. It’s really cool. And we were actually concerned that people were going to come ahead of us because it felt like it was just so out there in terms of mock drafts and what have you.”