Carrie Underwood opened the 14th season of NBC's Sunday Night Football with a new rendition of the show's theme song, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," which is based on Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' 1988 track "I Hate Myself for Loving You." This year's version leaned further into rock influences, reflecting an aspect of Underwood's musical identity that is well known to her fans but distinct from her country music roots, and reinforcing her ongoing association with the NFL broadcast as one of its most recognisable annual traditions.

The singer, who has previously covered rock acts such as Motörhead and Skid Row and performed nu-metal covers at Velocity Fest earlier this month, was filmed for the opening sequence performing in a small club, a large stadium and a recording studio. SNF creative director Tripp Dixon said the theme was built around "Carrie's deep, well-documented love of rock music," a sentiment Underwood echoed, describing the opener as welcoming the show into her "ongoing rock star fever dream." The season's first broadcast featured an NFC East matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, both teams also covered in Rolling Stone's 2026 NFL Preview.