Super Bowl 60: Sam Darnold's career arc tops Patriots vs. Seahawks rematch's five early storylines
A handful of developments could engulf the Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl
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5 min read
Is anyone else twiddling their thumbs and walking around their house aimlessly, ready to burst at the seams in anticipation of Super Bowl 60? Just me? Well, we have plenty of time until the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots kick off from Levi's Stadium, which allows us to dissect this matchup thoroughly.
With any Super Bowl, there's going to be an onslaught of storylines that develop throughout the two-week ramp-up, especially once both teams arrive in Santa Clara, California. That said, there are already some fascinating angles bubbling to the surface as key narratives surrounding this latest bid for a Lombardi Trophy.
Let's dive into a handful of those early storylines and rank them.
5. Super Bowl XLIX rematch
Get ready to see Malcolm Butler's's game-clinching interception from Super Bowl 49 on repeat for the next two weeks. That heavyweight matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks to conclude the 2014 season was an instant classic. Pete Carroll made the grave mistake of throwing at the goal line instead of handing it off to Marshawn Lynch, which led to Butler's heroics. That gave New England its first Super Bowl title in a decade and was the catalyst for the dynasty's second leg while spurning Seattle's chance of winning back-to-back championships.
We are officially getting a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX from 11 years ago… 😳
— Mikerophone (@MikerophoneNFL) January 26, 2026
This was the game the Seahawks threw the ball on the goal line and Patriots CB Malcolm Butler intercepted the pass… 🥶
pic.twitter.com/djYMKhPfKe
This will be the 10th rematch in Super Bowl history, and the winner of the first game is 6-3 in the second meeting.
While that may point favorably to New England, these are wildly different teams from that contest over a decade ago. Instead of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, it's Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel for the Patriots. As for Seattle, it's no longer Carroll and Russell Wilson running things -- it's Mike Macdonald and Sam Darnold.
So, while the Seahawks' organization and fan base will be rooting for a slice of revenge, that prior matchup won't exactly resonate with either version of these franchises.
4. Christian Gonzalez vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
If we're talking about specific matchups, you'll arguably find none better than the showdown brewing between Christian Gonzalez and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Seahawks wideout has leaped into superstardom this season, breaking the franchise's single-season receiving yards record and also leading the NFL with his 1,793 receiving yards. Smith-Njigba is also fresh off a sensational NFC Championship in which he remained Darnold's go-to target, catching 10 of his 12 targets for 153 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez has established himself as a top five NFL cornerback. Over the regular season, Gonzalez allowed just a 45.5% completion rate as the primary defender in coverage, a 56.8 passer rating and just one receiving touchdown. Like Smith-Njigba, he also came up clutch for his team in the conference title game, hauling in a game-clinching interception to help punch New England's ticket to the Super Bowl.
These two first-rounders from the 2023 NFL Draft are key pillars to their organizations and set to clash on the league's biggest stage. This truly is a best-on-best matchup.
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3. Was New England's path too easy?
You're going to hear a lot about the Patriots' Super Bowl path. While it may be annoying to those around New England, it's not exactly off base. The team did have the easiest regular-season slate since the 1999 Rams (judged on strength of schedule). In the postseason, the Patriots first defeated Justin Herbert and the Chargers, but they were down both starting tackles (Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt).
Then, they took on a Texans team that did not have top wideout Nico Collins and then lost tight end Dalton Schultz during the divisional round. To top it off, Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the final moments of Denver's playoff win over Buffalo, setting New England up for an AFC Championship with backup Jarrett Stidham -- not exactly a Murderer's Row of opponents to get this point.
Of course, this isn't New England's fault, and it took care of business against the teams that were put in front of it. That said, it does leave the door open to wonder if the Patriots are truly battle-tested, particularly as they face a tremendously talented Seahawks team.
2. Is Drake Maye the NFL's next great QB?
Maye's Year 2 leap is what has the Patriots in position for the franchise's seventh Super Bowl title. Already, he's slated to be the second youngest quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl and can be the youngest ever to win one. Maye is looking to become the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl during his first playoff run since Brady (2001).
All this comes after a regular season that has Maye in the running for league MVP, leading the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. If he does pull out a win, he'll quickly earn a seat at the table in the discussion as the best quarterback in the NFL and the future face of the entire league.
1. Can Sam Darnold complete career resurgence?
Darnold's renaissance is absolutely remarkable. Going back to last season as a member of the Vikings, Darnold finally was able to look like the quarterback that the New York Jets took with the third overall pick in 2018. He threw for more than 4,000 yards and led Minnesota to a 14-3 in the 2024 regular season.
Still, there was that twinge of doubt that he had truly ascended into a franchise cornerstone -- particularly after struggling over his final two games, including a playoff loss to the Rams. That led the Vikings to roll with J.J. McCarthy and allowed Darnold to hit free agency, and he eventually signed with Seattle.
In hindsight, it seems silly. But when the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to Las Vegas and signed Darnold, there were legitimate questions about whether or not the franchise upgraded at quarterback. With Seattle in the Super Bowl while Smith and the Raiders tumbled into earning the No. 1 overall pick, it's safe to say that the Seahawks did.
Even if the statistical output doesn't exactly tell that same story, Darnold has been even better in 2025 than he was with the Vikings. He helped Seattle earn the No. 1 seed and can now complete his career comeback arc with a Super Bowl title. He's just the third quarterback ever to reach the Super Bowl after playing for five or more teams and is also the first quarterback of his 2018 draft class (Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson) to reach the Super Bowl.
