The Seattle Seahawks will not be part of the NFL’s record-setting international schedule in 2026, and that should be viewed as a win for the defending Super Bowl champions.
The NFL announced nine international games for the 2026 season on Wednesday, May 13, with games scheduled for Australia, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Germany and Mexico. Seattle was not included in the slate, meaning the Seahawks’ title defense will stay domestic even as half the league appears in an overseas or international-site game.
There is an obvious tradeoff. International games can help a franchise reach new fans, offer players a memorable experience and put a team in front of a different global audience. The Seahawks have international marketing rights in multiple countries and have already played regular-season games in London and Munich.
But for a team trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions, the cleaner schedule is the better deal.
Seattle will already carry the weight that comes with being the league’s hunted team. The Seahawks are expected to get prime-time attention, a high-profile opener and the kind of opponent-by-opponent scrutiny that follows every reigning champion. Avoiding an international trip removes one more variable from a season where rest, routine and recovery matter.
The Seattle Seahawks Will Not Play an International Game in 2026
The NFL’s 2026 international schedule includes the San Francisco 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, the Baltimore Ravens against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, three London games, the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New Orleans Saints in Paris, the Cincinnati Bengals against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, the New England Patriots against the Detroit Lions in Munich and the Minnesota Vikings against the 49ers in Mexico City.
That leaves the Seahawks out of a slate that is both historic and demanding.
The biggest benefit is simple: no extra travel burden. An international game is not just one long flight. It changes practice rhythm, sleep schedules, media access, recovery windows and often the way the surrounding weeks are managed. Even when teams get a bye after an overseas game, the schedule still creates a different kind of week than a standard road trip.
For Seattle, that matters even more because geography already works against the Seahawks. Trips from the Pacific Northwest are rarely short. Adding London, Munich, Paris, Madrid, Brazil, Mexico City or Australia to the mix would have created another layer of logistical strain for a roster trying to remain fresh through January.
The NFL has not avoided sending defending champions overseas entirely. The Kansas City Chiefs played the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt during the 2023 season after winning Super Bowl LVII, with the Chiefs’ official announcement identifying them as the defending Super Bowl champions for that Germany game.
But that has not become a hard rule. The Chiefs did not play internationally in 2024 after winning Super Bowl LVIII; their official 2024 schedule opened at home against the Baltimore Ravens and stayed within the United States.
That makes Seattle’s 2026 outcome notable but not unprecedented. The Seahawks still get the visibility that comes with being champions. They just avoid one of the league’s most complicated schedule assignments.
Seattle has played only two international regular-season games in franchise history: a 2018 win over the Raiders in London and a 2022 loss to the Buccaneers in Munich. Gregg Bell of The News Tribune noted that history while pointing out that the Seahawks are not among the NFL’s nine international games this season.
Eventually, the Seahawks will probably be back on the international stage. The league continues to expand aggressively overseas, and commissioner Roger Goodell has discussed a long-term goal of reaching 16 international games per season.
For 2026, though, Seattle gets the better competitive arrangement.
Seattle Seahawks 2026 Schedule Drops Thursday
The full Seahawks schedule will be revealed Thursday, May 14, at 8 p.m. ET, when the NFL releases the complete 2026 regular-season slate.
That is when Seattle will learn the full shape of its Super Bowl defense: prime-time spots, short weeks, division timing, holiday possibilities and the placement of its toughest road games.
The Seahawks are already set to open the season in the annual NFL Kickoff Game, with the NFL noting that Seattle will begin the year in a rare Wednesday opener before the Rams and 49ers play in Australia the next day.
That alone makes the season unusual. The Seahawks will start earlier than normal, carry the ceremonial burden of being the defending champion and likely spend much of the year in national windows.
Not having to fold an international trip into that equation is good news.
The best version of the Seahawks’ 2026 schedule is not necessarily the flashiest one. It is the one that gives Mike Macdonald’s team the cleanest runway to defend its title, manage the physical toll of a 17-game season and arrive in December with enough left to chase another deep playoff run.
International games are good for the league. They can be good for brands, fans and players who want to experience something different.
For these Seahawks, in this particular season, staying home is better.
NFL Schedule Announcement is Great News for Seattle Seahawks