The 2026-27 NFL season kicks off tonight (yes, on a Wednesday) with the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks taking on the New England Patriots at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Typically, the NFL prefers to start its season on a Thursday night, making this just the fifth Wednesday game since 1948. However, in its apparent ambition to dominate every day of the week and expand globally, the richest sports league in the world has scheduled tonight’s Super Bowl rematch prior to tomorrow’s anticipated clash between the title-favorite Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.

Is the NFL—having long claimed Sundays and Monday nights and starting to take over Thursday nights since 2006—preparing us for more games outside its conventional schedule? It seems so. After acquiring Christmas from the NBA a few years back and introducing an annual Black Friday game in 2023, the NFL is also planning a Thanksgiving Eve matchup, featuring the Rams against the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, November 25. With Christmas on a Friday this year and the usual late-season Saturday games, NFL action will occur every day of the week except Tuesday.

In addition, a record-setting nine games will be played outside the United States, across seven different nations. Paris joins Melbourne as a debut host, while the NFL returns to London, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro. (Although Canadian fans can catch games in nearby U.S. cities like Seattle, Detroit, and Buffalo, the NFL has not held a regular-season game in Canada since the Bills stopped their annual “home” game in Toronto in 2013.)

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However, this extensive expansion could pose a risk for the NFL, potentially diminishing its allure. One of the league’s standout features has always been its relative scarcity—it’s not broadcast every day, so when it is, fans pay attention. An oversaturation of games might lessen their appeal.

That said, the NFL excels at keeping viewers engaged. Here are some intriguing storylines to watch this season:

* How will the surprising New England rebound from its Super Bowl defeat and the subsequent tabloid scandal involving Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter Diana Russini?

* Can anyone halt the Rams, who are major title contenders after acquiring sack leader Myles Garrett and the unretired defensive powerhouse Aaron Donald to complement a high-octane offense led by reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford?

* Will a new head coach and a state-of-the-art stadium propel Buffalo to its first Super Bowl appearance during the Josh Allen era?

* What can we anticipate from Patrick Mahomes after the three-time Super Bowl MVP experienced a season-ending knee injury and Kansas City missed the playoffs for the first time in his career? And will fellow star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) bounce back from injury-plagued, playoff-less seasons?

Additionally, Canadian football fans can track several players making significant contributions across the league. Here are six who might have an impact this season:

Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals running back): As the top Canadian in fantasy football (selected in the early second round in most leagues), Brown achieved career bests in rushing yards (1,019), receptions (69), and receiving yards (437), scoring 11 total touchdowns last season. Although Burrow’s nine-game absence due to a toe injury affected Brown’s performance, the versatile 26-year-old could produce impressive numbers if his star quarterback remains healthy.

Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers running back): Hubbard emerged in 2024 with a career-high 1,195 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns, earning a new four-year, $33-million US contract. However, he lost the starting position last season to Rico Dowdle, who rushed for 206 and 183 yards in consecutive October games. With Dowdle moving to Pittsburgh, Hubbard must fend off former second-round draft pick Jonathon Brooks, whose initial two professional seasons were plagued by knee injuries.

Josh Palmer (Buffalo Bills wide receiver): After four lackluster seasons with the Chargers, Palmer signed a peculiar three-year, $36M contract last year to enhance Josh Allen’s underperforming receiving corps. Yet, injuries sidelined him for a few games, and he struggled when on the field, finishing with just 22 receptions for 303 yards—both career lows. The Bills then acquired notable receiver DJ Moore from Chicago, increasing Palmer’s competition for targets this season.

Elic Ayomanor (Tennessee Titans receiver): After impressing at Stanford, where he once accumulated 294 yards and three touchdowns on 13 receptions in a single game, Ayomanor was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He showed potential with rookie QB Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, finishing with 41 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns. With his size and athleticism, Ayomanor has the opportunity to continue developing his skills with the rebuilding Titans.

Theo Johnson (New York Giants tight end): The 2024 fourth-round pick had a solid second year with New York, catching 45 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns. However, Johnson’s role is uncertain following the Giants’ hiring of prominent coach John Harbaugh, who brought tight end Isaiah Likely from Baltimore.

Matthew Bergeron (Atlanta Falcons guard): To be honest, very few football fans truly comprehend the action in the trenches and which offensive linemen excel at their roles. Therefore, let’s let the financial figures speak for themselves: Bergeron, entering his fourth NFL season, signed a four-year $96M contract extension last month, making him the highest-paid Canadian in NFL history. He will once again be creating openings for superstar running back Bijan Robinson.