Giants, not Bears, were NFL’s 2nd choice after Patriots for NFL kickoff game

Apr 24, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants draft pick Arvell Reese, Owner John Mara (far left), Head Coach John Harbaugh (left), and General Manager Joe Schoen (right) pose for a photo during the introductory press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | Tom Horak-Imagn Images There had been speculation for weeks that the NFL was going to select the Chicago Bears as the Seattle Seahawks’ opponent for the NFL Kickoff game to open the 2026 season. Heck, even Michael Wilbon was talking about it on the radio like it was a done deal.

When the NFL announced that it would, in fact, be the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks to open the season, a rematch of the Super Bowl, many fans were surprised. In Chicago, some fans were stunned, and many of them were disappointed. Windy City Gridiron has learned that if the NFL went a different direction and didn’t select the Patriots for that game, they would have selected the New York Giants.

The NFL believes the Giants are a team on the rise, and with John Harbaugh coaching his first game in New York, the NFL felt that that would have been the best option after the Patriots. In the end, the NFL decided to have the Patriots be the choice and have the Giants open at home on Sunday Night Football. That Sunday is September 13th, just two days after the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11, and the NFL felt it was best to have the Giants play at home to open the season to honor that anniversary.

For those old enough to remember, the Giants team was very involved in honoring firefighters, working with the community, and helping heal New York City after the terrorist attacks. The Bears may or may not have been the third option behind those two teams, but we can report that they were definitely not the second option, like many Bears fans and media expected after the Patriots were announced as the opponent.