The 2009 National Football League season begins with a full slate of sixteen games in week one. Games were played on Thursday, September 10, Sunday, September 13 and Monday, September 14.

Week one marked the beginning of the 89th season of the NFL. The Thursday night game featured the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants playing host to the Washington Redskins. The game had an earlier than usual 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff due on NBC. This was due to NBC's coverage of the Republican National Convention, which will follow the game. NBC will had its season premiere of Sunday Night Football to wrap up the first Sunday of games as the Indianapolis Colts open their new home field, Lucas Oil Stadium, against the Chicago Bears. Earlier that Sunday, the NFL on FOX began it's fifteenth season with a doubleheader. The coverage was highlighted by the 4:15PM ET start featuring the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Cleveland Browns. The opening slate of games for the NFL on CBS included five early contests, the best of these included the almost perfect New England Patriots hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. Finally, the season premiere of Monday Night Football on ESPN expanded into a doubleheader. The front end of the double dip was an NFC North rivalry as the Minnesota Vikings took on the Green Bay Packers, the first game since the retirement of Brett Favre. The nightcap is an AFC West showdown was the Oakland Raiders entertaining the Denver Broncos.