Carrie Underwood stuns in leather mini dress as fans declare themselves 'ready' for new era

Carrie Underwood is ready for another football season.

This September, the "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer came back for her 14th consecutive season singing the opening theme for NBC's Sunday Night Football, which kicks off on September 13 for the 2026 season.

And as she geared up for the big day — and to debut a revamped version of her "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" — she shared sizzling behind-the-scenes photos of her filming the season opener.

Ahead of Sunday night, Carrie, 43, took to Instagram and first shared a photo of her decked out in denim, leather and studs, sporting black denim short-shorts paired with a brown tank top, matching jacket, and leather boots.

Another photo captured her in a leather mini dress paired with rhinestone-adorned boots, and she also included snaps of her performing on stage.

"Who's ready for #SundayNightFootball tomorrow? #BTS #WaitingAllDayForSundayNight," she wrote, and fans were quick to rave over the photos, with some pushing her to further explore a shift into rock and roll.

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"Can't wait!! We need a rock album of yours," one wrote, as others followed suit with: "She needs to make a rock 'n' roll record. That would be sick. Love her voice," and: "Rock on babe! Get on your drums one Sunday and roll it out," as well as: "I'm so ready! Can't wait!"

For this year's season opener, Carrie is leaning deeper into the rock side of the SNF theme song, using a reworked version of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' song "I Hate Myself for Loving You."

"This year's show open welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream," she explained in a statement to Rolling Stone.

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"I love this new version of the track and, once again, Tripp [Dixon] and the incredible team behind the camera brought it to life in a whole new way that captures the spirit of this iconic song and the heart of rock & roll. It's one of my most favorite opens yet."

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For the open, Carrie, a die hard rock fan who has previously performed with Guns N' Roses, performed a set that included the new opener at an intimate venue.

The 2026 NFL season kicked off with a game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on September 9. There are 13 games on Sunday, with the New York Giants going against the Dallas Cowboys for the primetime game.