The NFL marked the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks during its Week 1 opener between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, with each team given some freedom over how to pay tribute. Seattle's Lumen Field held a moment of silence before pairing a sign-language interpretation of the national anthem with an unconventional guitar performance, reflecting the city's own character within a league-wide day of remembrance.

The anthem's musical interpretation was performed by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, who began with a rendition reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix before veering into an improvised, grunge-inflected solo, prompting NBC commentator Mike Tirico to call it "authentically Seattle." The Seahawks also hosted first responders who had travelled from across the country to assist in the September 11 recovery effort, and the pregame ceremony closed with a military flypast over the stadium.