Perhaps fans had no interest in watching a rematch of an anticlimactic Super Bowl 60, or maybe people just don't like watching football on Wednesday. Whatever the reason, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots did not draw the numbers the NFL is used to seeing from its season openers. Last week's showdown was the least-watched kickoff game in four years, per Front Office Sports, and represented an 11 percent dip from the 2025 opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

The league continues to expand into the international market and remains the undisputed top sport in the United States, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is still probably a bit miffed to see the latest ratings. Though, after processing the data, he should be able to understand why the Patriots-Seahawks was not the draw that other matchups have been.

Despite meeting in the Super Bowl twice in an 11-year span and contesting one of the most legendary games ever, these two franchises are not traditional rivals. A high-profile divisional clash is therefore bound to generate more interest. Furthermore, neither squad has a megastar like Patrick Mahomes on the roster. Yes, Drake Maye is an MVP runner-up who led New England back to AFC supremacy, and yes, Sam Darnold penned one of the best comeback stories ever, but neither quarterback boasts a prominent presence on television.

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Even so, these players are obviously stars, as are Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, AJ Brown, Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, to name a few. The public still found less reasons to emotionally invest than in past years. Pitting Seattle against the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers would have been a far safer bet, but the NFL's desire to schedule a game in Australia left few realistic opponents for the reigning champion Seahawks.

Goodell and the league office will surely think carefully before they announce their next season opener. They should still sleep fine, however.