NATIONAL NEWS

Drake Maye and the Patriots take on Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in Super Bowl 60

Feb 7, 2026, 11:14 PM | Updated: Feb 8, 2026, 9:06 pm

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye waits to be in a group photo at their practice venue fo...

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye waits to be in a group photo at their practice venue for the Super Bowl 60 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.

After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

Will Drake Maye and the Patriots (17-3) capture their seventh Lombardi Trophy? Or will Sam Darnold and the Seahawks (16-3) earn their second?

The matchup features two stingy defenses, two balanced offenses and two quarterbacks who’ve taken vastly different routes to get here.

Led by defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones, cornerback Devon Witherspoon and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, the Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level.

The Patriots advanced to a record 12th Super Bowl because their defense has been dominant in the playoffs, allowing only 8.7 points per game.

Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, veteran wideout Cooper Kupp and running back Kenneth Walker around him.

Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Stefon Diggs give Maye plenty of support on New England’s offense.

The 23-year old Maye will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. He’s aiming to become the youngest to win it.

The Patriots won six rings with coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. AP NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel, who was a linebacker on three of those teams, is seeking his first as a head coach.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is only in his second season and first with Darnold, who’s on his fifth team in eight years in the NFL. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick has finally found a home after bouncing around the league.

This is a rematch of the Super Bowl 11 years ago. Brady and the Patriots won that one, 28-24, after Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Patriots are 4 1/2-point underdogs against Seattle.

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Drake Maye and the Patriots take on Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in Super Bowl 60