The Seattle Seahawks’ Week 13 home game against the Minnesota Vikings will not be flexed to Sunday Night Football and will stay in its scheduled Sunday afternoon window, according to a report from The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. The NFL is keeping the Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders as the Week 13 Sunday Night Football matchup.
Seahawks-Vikings remains locked in for November 30 at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX at Lumen Field, according to the Seahawks, Vikings and league schedule listings.
Seahawks-Vikings Will Stay in Sunday Afternoon Window in Week 13
From a record standpoint, Seahawks-Vikings had the resume of a flex candidate. Seattle sits at 7-3 and in the thick of the NFC playoff race, while Minnesota is 4-6 and trying to hang around the wild-card picture. Recent analysis from CBS also suggested the game fit the profile of a strong flex candidate.
Instead, the league opted for continuity: a hot Broncos team in the AFC and a big-market Commanders franchise in a national window, despite Washington’s struggles.
Why Seahawks-Vikings Looked Like a Sunday Night Football Flex Candidate
Under the NFL’s flexible scheduling procedures, Sunday Night Football games from Weeks 5–13 can be flexed with at least 12 days’ notice, allowing the league to swap out a weak matchup for a stronger one from the Sunday afternoon slate.
For Week 13, the tentatively scheduled SNF game is Broncos at Commanders, with both teams coming off a bye and headed in opposite directions in the standings. Washington is 3-8 and on a six-game losing streak, while Denver has ripped off eight straight wins to climb to 9-2.
Because of that gap, national outlets and schedule watchers flagged Vikings at Seahawks as one of the cleaner replacement options if the league chose to flex. A BVM Sports flex-preview piece listed the Seahawks and Vikings among the potential alternatives, if FOX didn’t step in.
That FOX wrinkle turned out to be important. Vikings-Seahawks is part of FOX’s late-afternoon window on a singleheader week, meaning it’s one of the network’s premium draws that can be protected from being moved to NBC. Flex-watchers noted that reality early, and the final decision confirmed it: the game stays on FOX at 4:05 p.m. ET, not under the lights.
What Staying Off Sunday Night Football Means for the Seahawks
For Seattle, the news is equal parts snub and silver lining.
The downside is obvious: a 7-3 Seahawks team loses a shot at another standalone national showcase in a season where they’ve pushed back into the NFC playoff picture. A flex into Sunday night would have meant prime-time exposure for Sam Darnold against a recognizable NFC brand in the Vikings.
On the flip side, the Seahawks keep the more familiar home kickoff schedule at Lumen Field, which players and fans generally prefer from a routine and travel standpoint.
Seattle also still has prime time on the way. The Seahawks’ schedule includes a Week 16 Thursday Night Football home game against the Los Angeles Rams, plus other national windows earlier in the season, so missing out on one flex doesn’t mean vanishing from the spotlight.
And from a big-picture standpoint, if the Seahawks keep stacking wins, there are additional flex opportunities later in the year in Weeks 14-17, and the entire Week 18 slate is still to be determined.
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