If you’re checking your calendar to see who do the Seattle Seahawks play Sunday, you might actually be looking for a game that happened about 24 hours earlier. Honestly, the NFL schedule-makers threw a bit of a curveball for the Divisional Round this year.
The Seattle Seahawks actually played the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
I know, it’s a bit confusing. Usually, Sunday is the holy grail of football, but because the Seahawks locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a stellar 14-3 regular-season record, they earned the "prime time" Saturday night slot at Lumen Field. If you were looking for them on the Sunday, January 18 slate, you’d actually find the Chicago Bears hosting the Los Angeles Rams instead.
The Saturday Showdown vs. San Francisco
So, why the mix-up? The Seahawks and 49ers have basically become the defining rivalry of the NFC West again. After Seattle suffocated San Francisco 13-3 in Week 18 to clinch the division and the top seed, the NFL decided this rematch was too good for a Sunday afternoon graveyard slot. They put it on Saturday night under the lights in Seattle.
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It’s been a wild ride for Mike Macdonald in his second year. You’ve seen the defense transform into this terrifying unit led by DeMarcus Lawrence and that ball-hawk safety Nick Emmanwori. Sam Darnold—who, let’s be real, almost nobody expected to be a $100-million franchise savior—has been steady enough to let Jaxon Smith-Njigba go absolutely nuclear. JSN breaking DK Metcalf’s single-season receiving record with 1,793 yards? Nobody had that on their bingo card.
Why you might have missed the "Sunday" tag
A lot of fans just assume "Playoff Weekend" means "Sunday Funday." But in the 2026 Divisional Round, the schedule looks like this:
- Saturday, Jan 17: Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos (Afternoon)
- Saturday, Jan 17: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks (Night)
- Sunday, Jan 18: Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots
- Sunday, Jan 18: Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears
Basically, if you’re looking for the Seahawks on Sunday, the only thing you’ll find is the "Winner" bracket waiting to see who they’ll face in the NFC Championship game next week.
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What happens next for Seattle?
Since the Seahawks are the No. 1 seed, they have the easiest path to Super Bowl LX, which, ironically, is being held at Levi’s Stadium—the home of the 49ers.
If you are wondering who do the Seattle Seahawks play Sunday next week (January 25), that's when the real "Sunday" action returns. The NFC Championship Game is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 PM ET. If Seattle wins their divisional matchup, they will host either the Rams or the Bears right back at Lumen Field.
Think about that for a second. The 12s have been waiting since the 2020-21 season for a home playoff run like this. The energy in the city is sort of frantic right now. People are treating every weekend like it’s a national holiday.
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The Darnold and Kupp Connection
It’s still weird seeing Cooper Kupp in a Seahawks jersey, isn't it? But man, it works. While everyone was worried about losing DK Metcalf to the Steelers and Geno Smith to the Raiders, John Schneider was playing chess. Bringing in Kupp to pair with JSN gave Darnold two of the best route-runners in the league.
When people ask who do the Seattle Seahawks play Sunday, they’re usually looking for the "how to watch" info too. For the remainder of this playoff run, you’re looking at FOX and NBC carrying the bulk of the NFC games.
Actionable Next Steps for Seahawks Fans
If you missed the Saturday game or are gearing up for the NFC Championship next Sunday:
- Check the NFC Championship Time: The game is set for Sunday, Jan 25, at 6:30 PM ET on FOX.
- Watch the Rams-Bears Result: Since the Seahawks play the winner of the Sunday night game (if they advance), keep a close eye on the Soldier Field matchup today.
- Lumen Field Logistics: If you’re planning to head downtown for the potential NFC Championship, start looking at light rail schedules now. The traffic for these night games has been a nightmare lately.
- Gear Up: The "50th Season" merchandise is selling out everywhere, but local shops in SoDo usually restock on Tuesday mornings.
The road to the Super Bowl officially runs through Seattle. Whether it’s a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon, the 12s are going to be loud enough to register on the Richter scale again.