The Seahawks Reign as World Champions!
The 2026 NFL season comes to a close as we crown the Seattle Seahawks as the Super Bowl LX champions! The Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots with a final score of 29-13 on Feb. 8. Coming into this season, the Seahawks were not favored to win their division, let alone win the Super Bowl. Both teams have a history in the big game, and surely have added to the legacy after Sunday’s game.
This is not the first time that the Seahawks and Patriots have met in a Super Bowl. In 2014, Tom Brady led the New England Patriots as they faced Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. In 2013, the Seahawks won their first Super Bowl, defeating Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a blowout 43-8 ballgame. The Seahawks at the time rostered a dominant defense titled “The Legion of Boom,” led by cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Kam Chancellor — who earned the nickname “Bam Bam Kam” — linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Earl Thomas. “The Legion” was absolutely unstoppable in their quest for a repeat. The offense was also a formidable force, led by quarterback Russel Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch — who was tokened with the nickname “Beast Mode”— and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse.
The Seahawks wanted to be the first team to be repeat champions since the Patriots of the early 2000s, and the Patriots wanted to defend that title. Quarterback Tom Brady, wide receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots were the greatest trio in the NFL at the time. Both teams knew that this game would come down to the wire as the Patriots scored with minimal time left on the clock, taking a 28-24 lead. Needing a touchdown, the Seahawks began marching down the field, and were saved by a miraculous catch by Kearse to set them up within 10 yards of scoring. On first and goal, the Seahawks turned to Marshawn Lynch to seal the game and begin a dynasty. Lynch was tackled down at the one-yard line with plenty of time to run another play. On second and goal, with less than 30 seconds in the game, the Seahawks threw the ball, intended for Ricardo Lockette, when Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler jumped the route and intercepted the ball.
With that, the New England Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl title since 2002, giving Brady his fourth ring and adding to his legacy. The Seahawks fanbase questions the playcall, but the Seahawks were confident in their ability to return to the big stage. Unfortunately, it was never meant to be. Marshawn Lynch regressed over time, the core of that dominant defense was infected with injuries and the core of that Super Bowl caliber team faded. The Seahawks continued to remain competitive in the NFC Conference, but did not make a Super Bowl appearance until this season.
In 2022, Russell Wilson, Seattle’s franchise quarterback, was traded from the Seahawks and signed with the Denver Broncos. The experiment in Denver failed and in 2024, Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal, and now is the backup for the New York Giants. The Seahawks for several years had Geno Smith, the comeback story that never got its fairytale ending. Smith was unable to get Seattle over the hump, so the Seahawks entered a complete rebuild, trading star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers, and adding several pieces to their defense, including former Dallas Cowboy Demarcus Lawrence, and most importantly signing former Minnesota Viking, Sam Darnold.
Darnold had high expectations coming into the NFL. He was drafted in 2018 by the New York Jets where he spent his first three years, before being traded to the Carolina Panthers. With the Panthers he became a backup and was deemed a bust in the NFL. Darnold spent one season in San Francisco, developing behind the great offensive mind of Kyle Shanahan, before signing a one year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold’s role in Minnesota was supposed to be as a veteran quarterback while the Vikings started JJ McCarthy, the rookie quarterback from the University of Michigan. Unfortunately, before the season started, McCarthy suffered a torn right meniscus and was forced to be sidelined. Darnold ran with the opportunity, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record, and was even considered as an MVP candidate. Unfortunately, the Vikings lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Rams, and the Vikings were not convinced on signing Darnold to a long-term deal. Seattle jumped at the opportunity and found their franchise quarterback.
The Patriots ended up playing in three more Super Bowls from 2014-2019, beating the Atlanta Falcons in the miraculous 28-3 comeback win, then losing to the Philadelphia Eagles to give them their first championship in franchise history, and then in 2019 winning their sixth Super Bowl ring against the Los Angeles Rams. One year later, Tom Brady played his final season for the Patriots, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Tennessee Titans.
Brady and Belichick began to grow apart, leading to Brady’s departure. Brady ended up playing for the Tampa Buccaneers from 2020-2023, where he won his seventh and final Super Bowl title before retiring. Since then, the Patriots have had a rollercoaster ride to return to the Super Bowl. After Brady’s departure, the Patriots needed a franchise quarterback for the first time in over 20 years. They turned to Cam Newton, the former Carolina Panther, to come in as a veteran to maintain the competitiveness in New England. For the first time in over 20 years, the New England Patriots missed the playoffs. That following offseason, the Patriots drafted Mac Jones out of Alabama, where he was going to be the future of New England. Mac Jones in his rookie year was spectacular, winning 10 games for the Patriots and bringing them back to the playoffs, before being embarrassed in the first round by their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills. Jones continued as a starter in New England until 2024, when he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the 2024 NFL Draft with the #3 pick, the New England Patriots selected Drake Maye from the University of North Carolina.
Maye’s rookie season was not impressive by any means; the team overall surrounding him was not ideal and many believed New England needed another 3-4 years before being able to compete. The Patriots front office began building a super team, bringing in Mike Vrabel as head coach, signing star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and adding several key pieces to their defense. The Patriots reigned once again as champions of the AFC East, securing a 14-3 record and second seed in the playoffs. The Patriots had an easy path to the playoffs, beating a mediocre Los Angeles Chargers team, then a Houston Texans offense that was not only injured but continuously blocked their own path to success and then defeated the Denver Broncos with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham with a final score 10-7.
In this year’s Super Bowl, the offense remained stagnant in the first half, with the Seahawks offense only recording nine points, hitting all three field goal attempts. The Patriots were held to 0 points to start the first half. Both defenses played with high intensity, forcing pressure on both quarterbacks and making sure that both receivers and running backs were held in check. Most would credit the quarterback for the success of the team, in the first half, the Seahawks owed all the credit to their defense, ranked first in the league this season and proving it on the big stage.
After the halftime performance by Bad Bunny, with a surprise appearance from Lady Gaga, both teams returned for the second half of play. The second half appeared to remain stagnant, until late in the third quarter, when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner. The Patriots began to build momentum, especially when Drake Maye forced a 35-yard touchdown to wide receiver Malik Hollins. New England’s defense forced punts, but alas their offense was unable to build consistent drives.
The Seahawks forced two interceptions, one of them being a 45-yard pick six, going up 29-6. With less than three minutes left in the game, Drake Maye found running back Rhamondre Stevenson for a wide open seven-yard score. With little time left on the clock, the Patriots were unable to make a comeback, and now we crown the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX Champions! Football fans now wait for the beginning of the new season, bringing in college talent, massive trades and so much more. Until then, congratulations to the Seahawks and the city of Seattle!